Court Jails Man 20 Years For Defiling Minor On Church Follow-Up

Justice Ismail Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a man, Dennis Okubiat to 20 years imprisonment for defiling a 12-year-old church member for three months, which led to the victim’s urinary incontinence.

Justice Ijelu jailed the convict after holding that the entirety of the victim’s evidence collaborated with medical report.

The Judge also held that the prosecutor, Babatunde Sunmonu, proved the one-count charge of child defilement brought against the convict beyond all reasonable doubts.

Sunmonu had told the court that the convict committed the offence on September 6, 2021, at about 10 am, in Tomoron Village on Lagos Island, contrary to Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

The survivor had told the judge during the trial that she went for evangelism and, in the process, went to check on the convict, who had not been coming to Church after the pastor of her Church said they should visit members who have not been seen in church for some time.

During the visit, the victim claimed that the convict offered her Garri and groundnut, and after eating, she slept off.

“When I woke up, I saw a white substance in my private part, and I woke Okubiat up and asked him what happened to me; he said if I told anybody, he would kill me,” the victim said.

In his defence, Okubiat said the victim came to his house because her mother was working in a hotel, and she abandoned the victim and her other siblings, and that he used to give the victim and her sister food whenever they said they were hungry.

He also testified that he had known the victim’s family since the time they came into the community.

In his judgment, Justice Ijelu held that Okubiat didn’t deny or challenge the victim’s testimony.

He said he knew the girl and that she was a 12-year-old child.

The court held, “I accept this evidence, although the defence tried to discredit it.

“The act of Okubiat was deliberate; the victim was vulnerable, and he took advantage of her.

“The court finds that the act of the convict harmed the victim as it has caused her extreme psychological impact and social impact.

“Okubiat is at this moment sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, to run from the day he was arrested and remanded”, the judge held.