Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced a former part-time lecturer at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (now Lagos State University of Education) Kolawole Muyiwa to life imprisonment for raping one of his students.
Justice Oshodi jailed Muyiwa for the rest of his life after holding that the prosecution had proven the charge of defilement brought against him beyond all reasonable doubt.
The state government had arraigned the convict for the offence on October 6, 2023, and he had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecution had told the court that the convict committed the crime on October 11, 2021, within the college’s premises in Oto-Ijanikin, Lagos State.
During the trial, the survivor told the court that “on October 11, 2021, she arrived early for a departmental meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. While waiting outside her classroom, the defendant approached and requested she get him food. She declined due to her pending meeting.
The survivor told the court that she later followed the defendant to get a flask for the food purchase, and he led her to the office.
She testified, “When they got inside, the defendant said he no longer wanted food but needed help marking examination scripts. She added that the defendant went outside, returned, and locked the passage gate and office door.”
“The defendant asked if I had a boyfriend, and I said no.
“He suddenly pushed me down the plastic chair I was sitting on, overpowered me and forcefully removed my trousers. I was menstruating at the time, and he removed my sanitary pad and had forceful sexual intercourse with me,” she stated.
The survivor also testified that after he had raped her, the defendant said: “What you refused to give me willingly, I have taken by force.”
In his account, the defendant told the court that on October 11, 2021, he came to the college to record and submit a script and that he met the survivor on reaching the gate, who offered to help him carry his bag.
He asked her if she could help record scores, to which she agreed. She informed him that she had a meeting.
The defendant told the court that he asked the survivor for a relationship while inside his office, and she accepted.
He explained that the relationship meant, “To be together, to talk, relate with one another, but not for a sexual relationship. He denied rapping the survivor.
His counsel, Dr G.O. Erenta, told the court to discharge and acquit the defendant as the survivor’s evidence was fictitious and no corroborating evidence was established.
However, in his judgment, Justice Oshodi held that the survivor’s testimonies corroborated those of the legal practitioner and that of the IPO.
He, therefore, found him guilty, citing the survivor’s detailed testimony and the defendant’s admission of requesting a relationship with her, which he claimed was platonic.
The judge held, “Kolawole Muyiwa, I have found you guilty of rape contrary to section 260 of the criminal law chapter 17 volume laws of Lagos state 2015.
“You are a first-time offender with no criminal record and married with three children. You also served as a part-time lecturer.
“However, the gravity of the offence committed cannot be overlooked. As a part-time lecturer, you occupied the position of trust and authority, which you abused. The victim was a student at the institution where you taught.’’
