Secondary school students to face trial for rape

The Victims.

No fewer than five students of Ireti Grammar School, Falomo, Lagos State, involved in the attempted rape of two female students from Falomo Senior High School, will be arraigned in court today (Thursday).

It could be recalled earlier last week that an eyewitness shared on social media how final year secondary school students sexually assaulted their female counterparts on their last day in school at Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos, in what has been described as a “tradition”, the Lagos State Government is said to be hunting for the students responsible.

According to the story shared by Michelle Matthew on her Facebook wall, female students from Falomo Senior High School, who had just concluded their final exam were targeted by male students of Ireti Grammar School, South West Ikoyi, who had also taken their last paper on Wednesday.

See the Facebook post below:

It was learnt that while one of the suspects, whom the police said was above 18 years, would be prosecuted in an open court, the four others would be tried in a family court.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said on Wednesday that the command, together with the state Ministry of Justice, had concluded arrangement to prosecute the suspects on Thursday (today). He, however, did not disclose the charges proffered against them.

The CP said:

“The police have interacted with the five suspects, one of the victims and the eyewitness. The incident raises questions of criminality and morality, which have been considered and examined by the stakeholders. An offence has been committed and the suspects will be taken to court to serve as a deterrent to others.

“We are putting all our files together with the Ministry of Justice and appropriate charges will be taken to court not later than Thursday (today) with the suspects. Issues of the ages of the pupils also came to play.

“Four of them will be taken to juvenile or family court, but one of them, who does not fall into the category of children, will be arraigned in an open court.”