Pastor back in court for allegedly touching a minor's breasts

Aka-Bashorun Olawale Akanni, a pastor and lawyer in Nigeria, was brought back to court on Wednesday in the Lagos State High Court for allegedly abusing a 14-year-old girl. He is accused of inappropriately touching her breasts, which breaks the law in Lagos State. Akanni pleaded not guilty.

His lawyer asked to keep the bail granted by a lower court, but the prosecution opposed this. Judge Hakeem Oshodi decided to keep the original bail conditions.

The complainant, now 27, testified that Akanni abused her after she moved in with his family at age eight to help with her studies and choir. She reported the abuse to her parents and officially complained in 2023 after hearing about a similar case.

After her testimony, the defence asked for more time to gather evidence, which the prosecution opposed. Judge Oshodi granted the request but ordered the defence to pay a N50,000 ($34.41) fee to the witness and set the next hearing for December 9, 2025.

Source: Punch Newspaper