Vice Principal, accused of impregnating student, denied bail

A school Vice Principal, Mohammed Mohammed, arraigned for allegedly impregnating his student, has been denied bail by a Magistrate’s Court in Minna, Niger State.
The court, which rejected his bail plea on Wednesday, ordered that Mohammed, who is the Vice Principal of Government Day Secondary School, Tunga, be remanded in prison custody.
The accused was arraigned on a two-count charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child, and impregnating a female student.
The Police Prosecutor, Mr Pius Asawa, had told the court that one Sokombo Danjuma of Tunga-Minna reported the matter at the Child Rights Agency, before it was later transferred to the Police‎.
Asawa quoted the complainant as alleging that the Vice Principal unlawfully had sexual intercourse with his 16-year-old JSS 3 student, and made her pregnant.
He said that the offences contravened sections‎ 18(2) and 25 (3) of the Child Rights Law of Niger State.
When the charges were read to the accused person, he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, thereafter, asked the court for adjournment to enable the police complete it’s investigation into the matter.
He also objected to bail for the accused, arguing that it may jeopardise police investigation‎.
The counsel to the accused person, A.I Mustapha, however, moved an oral application for bail of his client on the grounds that the offenses were bailable‎.
Mustapha also challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter‎.
In her ruling, Magistrate Fatima Auna rejected the bail plea, and asked the defence counsel to formally write a complain if he was not satisfied with the position of the court as regards bail for the accused.
Auna adjourned the matter to April 26 for further mention.