Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, has convicted and sentenced a 59-year-old artisan, Eze Chukwuma, to two terms of life imprisonment for defiling his two daughters for nine years.
Justice Soladoye sent Chukwuma to jail for the rest of his life after holding that the prosecution had sufficiently proven the two-count charge of defilement brought against him by the Lagos State government.
A state counsel, Mrs Olufunke Adegoke, had told the judge during the trial that the convict committed the offences between 2008 and 2017 at 2 Agbeke Street by Iyana-Era Bus Stop, Ijanikin, Lagos.
Adegoke called five witnesses to prove the case while the convict testified in his defence.
In her judgment, Justice Soladoye held that the testimonies of prosecution witnesses were corroborated and that they were credible.
The judge also stated that valid evidence was laced and documented, adding that the admission of the convict to have had carnal knowledge of his two daughters during cross-examination was crucial.
The court stated, “The defendant’s incestuous relationship with his two daughters, following the death of his wife in 2008, is senseless.
“The survivors told this court that their biological father had been having sex with them after their mother died during childbirth.
“The oldest was nine years old at the time.
“The children were taken to their village and even after telling their relatives about their father’s acts, nothing was done.
“They returned to Lagos and the second child reported to the school after her older sister ran away from home as she could no longer endure the assault.”
The judge said the school invited the Lagos State Ministry of Education and social workers, which led to the convict’s arrest, while the survivors were taken to an orphanage.
“The defendant admitted the act and stated that he was sorry.
“This is also in his statement, which was admitted and marked Exhibit A.
“He is a dirty father who should be locked up for life as his conduct is disgraceful. The defendant is found guilty as charged and he is now sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the two charges,” the judge held.
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