A man, identified as Sunday Oluwafemi, has been jailed for life for defiling a nine-year-old girl.
It was gathered that the convict was sentenced by an Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure, the state capital, after he was arrested by policemen for the crime in 2019.
NIGERIACRIME learnt the victim was Oluwafemi’s wife’s niece and was living with the couple when the crime was committed.
The Command charged the convict to court on one count of rape.
According to the charge, “the convict committed the offence on November 24, 2019, at about 4:pm in Akure, contrary to Section31(1) of the Child’s Right Law, Laws of Ondo State, 2012 and Sections 218 and 257 of the Criminal Code Law of Ondo State 2006.”
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The presiding judge, Justice Yemi Fasanmi, ruled that the prosecution was able to convince the court beyond reasonable doubt that Oluwafemi committed the crime.
The judge held, “The confessional statement of the defendant, both written and oral, with that of the medical doctor showed without equivocation that he indeed committed the offence.
“The defendant has betrayed the victim’s trust in him, looking at him as a father and also the trust of his brother-in-law who saw him as a good guardian. The evidence of the charge was corroborated as there were several penetrations into the vault of the victim’s vaginal.
“I, therefore, hold that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant had sexual intercourse with the victim severally and it was not consensual. The mandatory provision is that once a defendant is found guilty of rape, he is liable to life imprisonment.
“Based on the above reasoning and in strict adherence to the provisions of the law, I have no alternative than to sentence the defendant to life imprisonment and I so hold. The sole issue for determination is resolved in favour of the prosecution. He is convicted as charged and sentenced to life imprisonment.”