Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced a man, Rasheed Wasiu, to life imprisonment for having sexual intercourse with his neighbour’s 11-year-old daughter.
Justice Oshodi condemned Wasiu to prison for the rest of his life after he found him guilty of the one-count charge of defilement brought against him by the Lagos State government.
The state had accused the convict of defiling the survivor on or about March 9, 2018, at about 8:00 pm at Mustapha Street, Olodi-Apapa, Lagos, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
While the trial lasted, the state government called four witnesses to establish its case against the convict, while the defence called three witnesses in a bid to deny the allegation.
The defence lawyer, Yusuf Oyebanji, had urged the court to discharge and acquit the convict on the grounds that the prosecution was unable to establish the guilt of his client beyond a reasonable doubt and that the defence of alibi deflates the defilement allegation.
But the prosecutor, Babajide Boye, maintained that the state produced direct eyewitness and circumstantial evidence to justify the defendant’s conviction for heresy.
In his judgment, Justice Oshodi dismissed the alibi defence and declared that the prosecution had proved the charge of defilement against the convict beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge, who held that the offence of defilement is grave and attracts a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, insisted that the convict lied during his evidence before the court.
He stated, “Notwithstanding the overwhelming evidence against you, you continued to deny your offence. At sentencing, you showed no remorse.
“The evidence shows that you had sexual intercourse with an 11-year-old girl.
“She was your neighbour’s daughter. She was, to your knowledge, a child. You grabbed her in the toilet, pushed her to the wall and had sexual intercourse with her in a beastly manner.
“This is unacceptable. It would help if you were ashamed and punished according to the mandatory sentence.
“Therefore, the sentence I pass upon you is life imprisonment.
“You shall be registered as a sex offender in the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register,” he held.
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