A Lagos pastor and lawyer, Aka-Bashorun Olawale Akanni, has been re-arraigned for allegedly mol€sting a 14-year-old girl.
He pleaded not guilty as the court upheld his existing bail conditions.
A pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and legal practitioner, Aka-Bashorun Olawale Akanni, has been re-arraigned before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja for allegedly mol€sting a 14-year-old girl.
Akanni was brought before Justice Hakeem Oshodi by the Lagos State Government on a one-count charge of indecent treatment of a child. He was accused of fondling the br€asts of a minor in the Iwaya area of Lagos, an offence said to v!olate Section 135 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2015.
The defendant pleaded not guilty. His lawyer, Morenikeji Oyekunle, urged the court to allow him to remain on the bail earlier granted by a Magistrate’s Court, noting that he had met all conditions and posed no flight risk as a lawyer and clergyman. Prosecuting counsel, Funmilola Aluko, opposed the application and sought a review of the bail terms.
Justice Oshodi upheld the bail granted by the lower court and directed the defence to ensure the defendant’s presence at every trial date.
During the hearing, the complainant, now 27 years old, testified that she met the defendant through her father, a member of Akanni’s church. She told the court that she went to live with the pastor’s family in 2010 to focus on her education and join the church choir but was repeatedly mol€sted and punished whenever she performed poorly in school.
The witness said she later ran away and informed her parents about the ab8se but only filed an official complaint in 2023 after hearing of a similar case involving another minor in the same church.
Under cross-examination, she said she had previously confided in her class teacher, Mrs. Akingbeoyewa, about the alleged mol€station.
After her testimony, the defence sought an adjournment to obtain a Certified True Copy of her statement, but the prosecution opposed it, warning that further delays could affect the witness emotionally.
Justice Oshodi granted the adjournment but ordered the defence to pay N50,000 to the witness before the next sitting. The case was adjourned until December 9, 2025, for continuation of the trial.
