Tragedy struck in Akinfolile, Igbotako axis of Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State when a 27-year-old man raped a 10-year-old girl to death.
The 10-year-old girl identified as Esther Friday was said to have met her untimely death after, the accused, Israel Ikumuyi, allegedly had carnal knowledge of her forcefully in his bedroom in the community.
Israel who was dragged before a Magistrate Court sitting in Oke-Eda, Akure, the state capital told the court that he never had the intention to kill the little girl but just to have sex with her.
According to him, while he was perpetrating the dastardly act, he mistakenly suffocated Esther to death while covering her mouth with cloths in a bid to prevent her from raising alarm.
In his statement with the police, Israel said that Esther had approached him on the fateful day when he was in the kitchen, cooking his dinner and asked him to give her money.
He maintained that he refused and told her that the money he had with him was meant to cook soup, adding that he left the kitchen for his room and she followed him to his room.
The accused who disclosed that he did not have any girlfriend, said that he developed amorous feelings for the girl and decided to penetrate her.
“I did not plan to defile her, but when she slept with me on the bed. I felt aroused and decided to quickly have sexual intercourse with her. I did not force her to have sex. We were together on the bed.
“Trouble started when I was trying to put my penis inside her vagina, it did not enter very well. My penis did not penetrate despite all my efforts to make sure I insert it. It did not fully enter. I covered her mouth with my cover cloth so that she could not raise alarm, she was crying, but nobody could hear or come for her help.
“Due to the cloth used in muffling the deceased, she could not shout and was thereafter suffocated to death.
“She died when I was having sex with her.”
He stated that late Esther was with him on the bed inside his room from 4:30pm till 6:00 pm.
According to the Prosecutor, Inspector Uloh Goodluck, the offence committed by the accused person contravened sections 316, 319(1) of the Criminal Code Cap 37, Vol. 1 Laws of the Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.
The prosecutor who claimed that Ikumuyi Isreal had lured the victim into his room with the promise of giving her N100, urged the court to remand the accused person in prison custody pending the outcome of the legal advice from the department of public prosecution.
At the sitting, the plea of the accused person was not taken and he was not represented by any lawyer.
Magistrate N. T Aladejana subsequently remanded the accused person in Owo Correctional Centre pending the outcome of the DPP advice with the case adjourned till May 3, 2021, for mention.
