Unilag lecturer, Dr. Akin Baruwa, who reportedly raped an 18-year-old University of Lagos admission seeker, failed to show up in court.
He was subsequently arraigned on one count of rape and granted bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties in like sum, while his case file was sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
However, the bail conditions was yet to be perfected as of Wednesday when he refused to show up in court.
He was said to have shunned the call on grounds of health issues.
A lawyer from the Office of the Public Defender, Mrs. Ibidun Ibikunle, claimed it was false saying that, “What the defence counsel said is not true. I spoke with the head of the prison warders earlier today (Wednesday) and he did not tell me anything like that. He said when the warders were coming to court with other defendants, they called him, but he refused to follow them. So, I don’t know where the defence counsel got the claim that Baruwa is ill from.”
The defence counsel, Terry Adeniji, had earlier told the court that Baruwa was critically ill, adding that it had been difficult to perfect his bail conditions.
He said, “My Lord, the defendant is critically ill and I learnt he has been admitted in a hospital. It has been very difficult to secure his bail. What we are thinking is that if we are able to secure his bail, he will have access to a better medical care. We believe the law is not one-way traffic and it is when he is well enough that he can face the trial on this matter. In fact, according to the law, he is still presumed innocent in respect of this matter.”
The prosecutor, Jimah Ishegede, said the counsel was not in the position to prove whether the accused was ill or not.
He however, did not object to the counsel’s bail application.
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