Lagos Apprentice Jailed For Life For Defiling Employer’s 9-Year-Old Daughter
An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Monday sentenced an apprentice, Godwin Ogboniya, to existence imprisonment for sexually assaulting his employer’s 9-year-old daughter.
Justice Abiola Soladoye held that the prosecution proved beyond practical doubts, the elements of the one-count cost of sexual assault by using penetration against Ogboniya.
She said that the defendant, who had been residing with the survivor’s father for three years, used to be an “unkind and unworthy employee who embarked on sexual frolicking with the nine-year historic girl”.
According to her, the survivor identified the defendant as her father’s apprentice who lived with them for three years.
The choice delivered that the defendant’s testimony that the survivor’s mother tried to seduce him, was self-serving and his denial was an afterthought that no longer maintained water.
She said: “The nine-year historical woman identified the defendant in the dock as the man who sexually assaulted her on numerous activities when her mother and father have been not home.
“The survivor said and I quote ‘he helps my daddy when nobody is around, consists of me to the lavatory and asks me to pee, takes me back to the parlour, places his finger in my bum bum and additionally put his penis in my vagina’.
“Upon careful review of the proof adduced earlier than this court both oral and documentary, the survivor’s testimony used to be lucidly corroborated with other prosecution witnesses which were very compelling.
“The investigative police officer, through whom the clinical file was tendered, was very detailed, upright and diligent in her testimony.”
Soladoye further stated that she believed the evidence of all the prosecution witnesses as the showcase tendered have been self-explanatory and spoke volumes.
She added that proof of damage or rupture of the hymen was not vital in the case of sexual assault, as penetration, no remember how slight, was ample to show the offence.
“This defendant, having been found guilty as charged, penetrating the vagina of the younger victim, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment.
“He needs to have his title registered in the sexual offences register, as maintained by Lagos State,” she said.
The Judge entreated the mother and father and guardians to be watchful now and not to entrust their teens in the fingers of irresponsible adults like the defendant.
She brought that the need for community consciousness via continuous campaigns would go a long way to eradicate the threat of sexual offences in society.
The State Counsel, Ms Abimbola Abolade introduced 4 witnesses during trial while the convict testified as the sole witness.
Abolade stated that the convict committed the offence between 2019 and 2021 on Ogbewi Street, Cele Egbe in Ikotun, Lagos.
The prosecution submitted that the father of the survivor said the case to the police after the survivor summoned up the courage to narrate her ordeals to him.
According to the prosecution, the offence violated Section 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015. (NAN)”
