A 21-year-old groundnut trader, Sunday Uche, was on Monday, July 1, sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Ramon Oshodi of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court for r*ping a 4-year-old girl.
Uche was dragged before the
court on a count of defilement by penetration preferred against him by the
state, to which he pleaded not guilty. According to the prosecution counsel,
I.D. Solarin, the offence committed by Uche contravenes Section 137 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State. The court heard that the incident occurred on
February 2, 2017, in the house of the convict.
Uche, who worked as a groundnut
trader, defiled the minor in his home after she came to beg for groundnuts.
“I was at home when one small
boy brought a four-year-old girl to my house to beg for groundnuts, so I
decided to have s3xual intercourse with her.
After everything, I gave her
some groundnuts. The small baby cried. I knew what I was doing was wrong but I
was so eager, but I did not release inside the v*gina. After releasing sp3rm, I
became weak, surprisingly the mother of the girl came to my house to look for
me,” he said.
Delivering his judgment,
Justice Oshodi Ramon held that the evidence presented before the court proved
beyond doubt that he committed the crime.
“Based on the evidence
presented, a statement of the IPO of the Sabo Police Command, Lagos State, a
statement from the victim’s mother, the police referral for medical
examination, a detailed medical report from Mirabel Centre dated February 2,
2017, and the defendant’s statements, I find the defendant guilty and convict
him under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos.
This is a grave offence that
carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. The parts of this case are
alarming: you took advantage of a four-year-old girl who came to you simply
asking for groundnut. You exploited her vulnerability and trust, in the most
heinous way imaginable. The physical and psychological harm you have inflicted
on this young victim is immeasurable and likely to have a long-lasting effect.”
The judge then convicted Uche
on one count of defilement by penetration and sentenced him to life imprisonment,
ordering that the name of the convict should be registered in the Lagos State
Sexual Offences Register.
The presiding judge also
dismissed his plea for mercy.
“I have considered other
factors like the lack of previous convictions and your plea for mercy and
sentencing. However, the aggravating factors outweigh any other
circumstances.'' the judge said
Post a Comment