Defilement: the denial

My defence of a criminal trial for heinous defilement of a minor by a client.

After our interviews with the inmates, Segun and I listed about fifty-five cases involving inmates at Agbodi Prisons in Ibadan, Oyo State. All of them had no lawyers or legal representation. Their cases were pending before the various courts across the state. This was March 1st, 2017. And that day was my birthday.

Each of the cases was peculiar and at different stages in court, mostly awaiting trials and advice from the Department of Public Prosecution on whether the accused had a case to answer or not. Some of the accused have been in prison for years without trial.

The inmates we interviewed gave us the addresses and phone numbers of their relatives. The interview was challenging. In all the cases, we ensured absolute discretion, listened carefully to their stories, and determined the best course of action.

After agreeing on the best strategy to ensure we get the best results from what we were about to commit ourselves to, considering we were not going to be paid for representing any of the accused. I had instructed Segun, a colleague, on what to do. We also purchased enough call cards to call each of the accused’s relatives on the list.

Segun was to call all the numbers and request to come for a meeting with us in our office at the time. These calls were to be done quickly, and meetings were to be held and closed within a week with all of them.

While he was at it in the office, he ran into the library to narrate a story. A sad one at that. He had called one of the phone numbers given to us by one of the accused. The accused gave us the phone number of a lady he claimed to be his girlfriend. At the prison, I wondered why he did not give us the contact information of his father, mother, or sibling. And just when i was about to echo these thoughts, Segun’s response provided the answer.

The young man had visited his girlfriend, who is also studying in Ibadan. The night he was arrested, he was arrested at a joint smoking Indian herms. However, according to him, he was charged with armed robbery and illegal possession of firearms. Meanwhile, his excuse to his girlfriend was that he wanted to buy a call card and suya at a nearby store.

Unfortunately, the lady denied knowing the young boy despite repeated assurances from Segun after informing her of her boyfriend’s ordeal at the prison and charges against him that she was not in trouble.

To clear all doubts. Segun called the phone number again. The lady picked up the call and confirmed he knew the boy but would not like to have anything to do with him ever again. She warned us not to call her ever again and ended the call abruptly. We tried calling again almost immediately and several days later. The number was no longer reachable.

Whether the boy would remain in prison for a while or we would get back to him to request his family’s contact information was now entirely ours to decide.

‘’Segun what of other cases?’’ I asked.