An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Thursday remanded a 43-year-old man in prison for the alleged rape of his neighbour’s 10-year-old daughter.

The Chief Magistrate, Olufunke Sule-Amzat, who did not take the plea of the defendant, one , Chukwuma Smart, ordered that he should be remanded in Kirikiri Prisons.

Sule-Amzat also ordered the police to send the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.

She adjourned the case until July 15.

The defendant, who lives at Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos, is facing a charge of defilement.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, ASP Benson Emuerhi, told the court that the defendant on April 3, unlawfully had carnal knowledge of the girl at his residence.

“The defendant defiled his neighbour’s daughter by forcefully having sexual intercourse with her,” he said.

The prosecutor said that the parent of the victim reported the case to the police, leading to the arrest of the defendant.

Emuerhi said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

Section 137 prescribes 14 years imprisonment for defilement if found guilty.