Cleric, 1 Other Get Life Jail For Defiling Minor

Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced a Muslim cleric, Yakubu Isiaka and one Alex Michael to life imprisonment for raping an under aged girl.

Justice Oshodi ordered that the convicts shall spend the rest of their lives behind bars after he found them guilty of having had sexual intercourse with a thirteen-year-old girl.

They were first arraigned before Justice Sybil Nwaka on a two-count charge before she was elevated to the Appeal Court.

The duo had pleaded not guilty to the two charges.

They were later re-arraigned before Justice Oshodi on August 3, 2021, on the allegation of having had sexual intercourse with the 13 years old survivor three times between October and November 2019 at Fatai Olukoga Street, Igbo Olowu Estate in Ikorodu.

Michael was alleged to have had a canal knowledge of the girl three times while Alfa Isiaka was said to have had unlawful sexual intercourse with her two times.

The offence of defilement is contrary to the provision of section 137 of the Criminal Law Cap C. 17, Vol. 3 Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

The convicts had again pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecution team led by Babajide Boye commenced the trial and called witnesses to testify against the defendants, they included, the Investigation Police Office IPO and the survivor. The prosecution also tendered documents as exhibits.

Michael had, in his statement, stated that the young girl typically came to their house, and a woman called mummy Ada always sent her away.  He said that on the day of the incident, “she came to my house again; when she entered, she sat on the floor and took my phone and started watching some videos on it.

“When I looked at her, she laughed, and I asked her why she laughed. I realised she was watching an adult movie on it. I collected the phone from her. She went out and later came back and retook the phone while I was lying down on my bed in our parlour, and she said I want you to see what I am watching, that was when she started kissing me, and we had sexual intercourse together.  A day later, she came again, and we had sex again.”

While delivering the judgement, Justice Oshodi held that the prosecution proved the case of heresy against the defendants and therefore sentenced both to life imprisonment.

“The charge of defilement, for which you have both been convicted, carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, which signals that it is unacceptable. I consider the seriousness of the offence to justify a life sentence, and that is the sentence I must, therefore, impose upon you,” the judge held.