Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja has jailed a 26-year-old carpenter, Tayo Akinboyewa, for life for having unlawful sexual intercourse with his neighbour’s 12-year-old daughter.
Justice Oshodi handed down the verdict after holding that the prosecution proved the case of defilement against Akinboyewa beyond all reasonable doubt.
The judge held that he was satisfied that the survivor’s testimony that the convict had sexual intercourse with her was corroborated by the medical report (exhibit H-H2).
The prosecution had told the judge during the trial that the convict committed the offence sometime in May 2021 on Titilayo Street in the Oshodi area of the state.
During the trial, the state counsel, Babajide Boye, had called three prostitution witnesses while the defendant testified as the sole defence witness.
In his judgment, Justice Oshodi held there is redundant evidence that the convict had sexual intercourse with the survivor, who, to his knowledge, was a child and that she gave a direct eyewitness account.
The judge also held that the convict confessed in exhibit G that he had sexual intercourse with the survivor twice and that the medical report and the confessional statement corroborated the survivor’s testimony.
The court also stated that the evidence and testimony of the survivor’s mother and the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) linked the defendant to the crime.
Justice Oshodi, thereafter, rejected the evidence of the convict and used his confessional statement to convict him.
He reiterated that children deserve to be protected, nurtured and not exploited in such a vile manner.
The judge also stated that he had considered the seriousness of the offence, the victim’s age, the breach of trust and the physical and psychological impact on the victim.
He then held that he saw no reason to depart from the statutory requirement of life imprisonment.
