By Lanre Adesanya
SUNRISE – The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) Lagos State Branch has petitioned the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Mr. Adeniji Kazeem to intervene in a case of sexual assault of a minor leveled against one Mr Elijah Babaniyi, by checking the veracity of the claims for which he is being remanded in prison.
The CDHR having done the required investigation, felt the need for the attorney general to wade into the matter, to avoid the likelihood of miscarriage of justice.
The CDHR Chairman, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, said the rights protection group discovered that the case if not holistically reviewed, may resort in miscarriage of justice.
“We are taking this stance owing to the investigation carried out from the school; where the accused worked for ten years and interestingly deals with children within the age range of 18months to 11years, the account of his wife who owns the school the girl attends, his Church where he was a Parish Pastor, his neighbourhood and the account of the complainant, where no antecedent was established, linking the man to such debasing act.
“While we are not holding brief for the accused, we would like to call on the Attorney General to take a cursory look at the case in question and substantiate claim by thorough review or disclaim it through the same avenue.
“We want to believe justice will be well served if all avenues are explored to verify if the accused, Babaniyi really perpetrated the act of sexual assault by penetration as claimed by the complainant.
“We hold this view that if since April 2018 the accused had been the one dropping off pupils at their various residences and locations, even before the girl in question, Bathel Daniel was enrolled in their school sometimes in September and no such case arose then the case need be reviewed.
The CDHR maintained its stance, that there is a serious need to clarify some shady aspect in the case given the premise on which it was instituted.
“From all our findings we have come to the conclusion that the victim Mr Elijah Babaniyi is a victim of circumstance, as a visit to the Sunnydale School GRA, Ikeja where the accused work for 10years with no blemish and the fact that Bathel was dropped off at her mother’s shop hale and hearty that fateful day.
“The CDHR humbly appealed to you that should use your good office to prevail on the Directorate of Public Prosecution to set up an independent investigative panel that will investigate this sensitive matter.
“For a due diligent investigation before giving advice so that an innocent person will not suffer for an offence he didn’t commit as the law says ‘ it is better for 99 accuse to escape than to convict only one innocent’.”