An Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court on Monday sentenced a bricklayer, Idowu Ismail Gbolahan, 30, to life imprisonment for defiling a 7-year old girl (names withheld).
Justice Abiola Soladoye of found Gbolahan guilty of the offence of defilement of his niece.
The trial judge sentenced him to life imprisonment following his guilty plea to lone count charge of defilement brought against him by the Lagos State government after arraignment.
He was said to have defiled the seven year old girl, his niece, when she went to visit her grandmother at No 50 Maroko Road, Shomolu, Lagos on August 11, 2018.
The prosecution Mrs. Fehinti Ogbemudia told the court that the defendant carried the victim from her grandmother’s room where she went to drink water.
According to her: “The defendant suddenly carried the victim to his room and shut the door.
“He removed her pant and had sexual intercourse with her.
“The victim’s scream attracted a neighbour, one Ukfot Esther, who led the rescue of the victim.
“Defendant made confessional statement and the victim was referred to the Mirable centre of Lagos State Teaching Hospital for medical examination to corroborate her evidence.
“Both confessional statement and the Mirabel report attached to the proof of evidence which is before the court. We rely on the provision of section 213 (2) of Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) 2015.”
She urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant based on his guilty plea.
In his allocutus, defendant cousel, Kelechi Obi, pleaded for mercy, adding his client is the first offender having no record of criminal offence and he did not waste the time of the court.
Delivering judgement in the matter, Justice Soladoye held that the defendant upon arraignment, admitted to defiling the victim who is a seven-year-old child.
She also held that he pleaded guilty to one-count charge of defilement of a child contrary to section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015
“I have listened carefully to the allocutus of his defence counsel Mr Kelechi Obi.
“I hereby hold that the offence in question is a strict liability offence.
“An offence against a child is a violation of her chastity and I cannot imagine the emotional and physical scars she will endure for the rest of her life.
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“Idowu Ismail Gbolahan, male, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment. This is the sentence of this honourable court,” Justice Soladoye said.
