A 38-year-old man, Godspower Ojakovo was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by Justice Michael Nduka Obi of a High Court sitting in Effurun, Delta State after he was found guilty of defiling his neighbour’s 10-year-old daughter.
The defendant, who lived next door to the victim’s parents at the time of the incident, was arraigned before the court on a charge of having unlawful carnal knowledge of the child, an offence punishable under Section 218 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21 Vol. 1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.
During the legal proceeding, the prosecution, led by Mrs C. O. Onojovwo, a chief state counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Delta State, presented three witnesses.
The witnesses testified that Godspower repeatedly violated the victim in his apartment, offering between N50 and N100 bribe each time.
It was also discovered that he had intimidated the victim, threatening to kill her and her parents if she revealed his crime.
According to the prosecution, the assault came to light when a neighbour noticed Godspower defiling the child multiple times and reported the incident to the victim’s parents.
In turn, the parents informed their local vigilante, who set a trap and caught the defendant in the act before he was handed over to the police for further investigation.
During the trial, the defendant admitted to committing the crime in a written confession to the police but later denied the offence in court, claiming to be falsely accused.
However, the judge, Justice Michael Nduka Obi, considered the defence’s position as an afterthought and delivered the verdict stating that the prosecution had proven the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
Justice Obi, in his remark, emphasized that people like the defendant must be kept out of circulation because of the severity of the crime committed.
This sentencing is a warning to those who rape minors that there would be stiff legal consequences if found guilty.
The rate of child molestation cases in Nigeria has been alarming, with a recent survey by the National Population Commission revealing that one out of every four girls in the state has been a victim of sexual abuse.
Despite the country’s legal framework protecting minors, including the Nigerian Child’s Rights Act, cases of child molestation often go unreported or unprosecuted.
However, this sentencing of Godspower to fifteen years in jail is a step towards ensuring that offenders are brought to book and justice is served.
It is hoped that this verdict and others like it will serve as a deterrent to other people considering molesting minors.
