Lagos court remands railway worker for allegedly def!ling 7-year-old girl

A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered the remand of a Nigerian Railways worker, Festus Nwaegela, in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) for the alleged s3xual assault of a seven-year-old girl.

The trial judge, Justice Oyindamola Ogala, ordered Nwaegela’s remand after he was arraigned on a two-count bordering on def!lement and s3xual assault brought against him by the state government.

The state counsel, Mr Olugasa Azeez, told the court that the defendant had unlawfully had s3xual intercourse with a seven-year-old girl on 18 December 2023.

He was also accused of sexually assaulting the same minor by penetrating her anus, an offence contrary to Section 261 of the same law.

The prosecution said his offence was also contrary to the provisions of Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Nwaegela pleaded not guilty to all the counts read to him. Following his plea, Azeez prayed the court for a trial date and the issuance of witness summons.

Justice Ogala, however, ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional facility pending trial and adjourned the case to 19 November 2025 for hearing.