CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
A 32-year-old teacher, Ayodele Obinna Ademefun, has been arraigned before the Magistrate Court of Lagos State sitting at Ogba, Ikeja, over alleged sexual abuse involving four of his students in the Oshodi area of Lagos State.
The defendant was arraigned before Magistrate Mrs. M.O. Tanimola on a five-count charge bordering on sexual harassment and sexual assault. The prosecutor in the matter is ASP Lucky Ihehie.
According to the charge sheet marked Charge No. 2026 in the case of Commissioner of Police vs Ayodele Obinna Ademefun, the alleged offences were committed sometime in September 2025 at No. 11, Ajagungbade Street, Mafoluku-Oshodi, Lagos, within the Lagos Magisterial District.
The prosecution alleged that the defendant, who was a teacher at Great Oak College located at the said address, engaged in acts of sexual misconduct involving four male students aged between 13 and 17 years.
The offences are said to be punishable under Sections 264 and 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015, which deal with sexual harassment and sexual assault by penetration.
Court documents indicate that the case was reported to the police by parents of two of the affected children, who alleged that the school authorities were aware of the incident but failed to take appropriate action.
The matter was initially reported at Makinde Division, Oshodi, Lagos, by one Adamu Bubature and one Blessing Punshak, before it was transferred on May 25, 2026, to the Gender Section of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, for further investigation.
The Investigating Police Officer, W/Inspector Raimi Idowu, attached to the Gender Section, deposed to a sworn affidavit in support of remand, stating that the suspect was arrested and made a statement to the police during investigation.
In the affidavit, the police requested that the defendant be remanded in custody while the case file is duplicated and forwarded to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, for legal advice.
After considering the application and the nature of the charges, Magistrate Mrs. M.O. Tanimola ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Correctional Center, Kirikiri town, pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice.
The magistrate also directed that the case file be sent to the DPP for further legal guidance, while adjourning the matter for mention pending the advice.
The case has drawn attention to ongoing concerns about child protection and safety in schools across Lagos State. Child rights advocates have repeatedly called on school owners, principals, and teachers to put in place strong safeguarding policies to protect students from abuse.
The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Youth and Social Development and the Office of Education Quality Assurance, has also continued to emphasize zero tolerance for any form of abuse against children in schools.
Police authorities have urged parents and guardians to maintain open communication with their children and to promptly report any suspected case of abuse to law enforcement agencies for immediate action.
As of the time of filing this report, the defendant remains in custody at Kirikiri pending the DPP advice. The court is expected to give further directives upon receipt of the legal advice.
The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law.
