A 50-year-old man, Usman Tajudeen, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by an Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti for raping a four-year-old girl.
Tajudeen was arraigned on one-count charge of rape, contrary to Section 31 (2) of the child’s Right Law, Cap.C7 Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
The charge reads, that you Usman Tajudeen, on 21st August 2020 at Ikere Ekiti, within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court, did rape a four-year-old girl.
The victim in her statement to police said (the convict),’’ Daddy Latifat who is living in our house, on that day, took me to his sitting room and said I should sit on his lap, he removed my pant and put his something (penis) where I use to urinate (virgina), he used to call me to his sitting room to do it,’’ she concluded.
The mother of the victim, in her testimony to the court presided over by Justice Lekan Ogunmoye said, “I was at where I was making cassava flour, my daughter went to where she went to excrete, when I went to pack the faeces, I noticed blood in it, thereafter, I checked her anus and virginal, I saw blood coming out of the place, I was very scared, when I enquired from her, she said, it was Daddy Latifat that put his something to where I was urinating, the matter was reported at Ikere Ekiti Police Station.’’
The prosecutor, K.S. Adeyemo called five witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statement, victim’s statement and medical report as exhibits to prove his case while the convict spoke in his own defence through his counsel Tope Salam.
Salam who prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, considering the age of the defendant, called one witness.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Ogunmoye said, the prosecutor had established before the court that the defendant had sexual intercourse with the minor without her consent and therefore committed the offence of rape as charged.
“In all, the prosecution had proved his case beyond reasonable doubt against the defendant. The sole issue for determination is resolved in favour of the prosecution, the defendant is convicted as charged.
“The sentence for the offence of rape under Child’s Right Law is mandatory, he is sentenced to life imprisonment,” the judge ruled.
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