257Man bags life imprisonment for defiling 9-year-old niece of his wife

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257Man bags life imprisonment for defiling 9-year-old niece of his wife

An Akure High Court, in Ondo State, has sentenced a 43-year-old man, Sunday Oluwafemi, to life imprisonment for defiling a nine-year-old girl.

The victim was the niece of his wife, living with them.

Oluwafemi was arraigned in court on January 16, 2022, on a count of rape of a nine-year-old girl, who was in his custody.

According to the charge preferred against him, he was said to have committed the offence on November 24, 2019, at about 4:pm at Joy and Joy Akure, contrary to Section 31(1) of the Child’s Right Law, Laws of Ondo State, 2012 and Sections 218 and 257 of the Criminal Code Law of Ondo State 2006.

Earlier, the state prosecutor, B. Olarewaju, had told the court that the defendant on many occasions had unlawful sexual intercourse with the victim.

Olarewaju said that “ The victim entered her guardian’s room to change her clothe and the man entered with her and ordered her to pull off her pant. “She refused, but he forcefully pulled the underwear off and forcefully had intercourse with her.

“He had severally had sexual intercourse with the victim as shown in the medical report.

The prosecutor called three witnesses and tendered a medical report, the defendant’s statements among others.

In her evidence before the court, the victim said the defendant, who was like a father to her had raped her several times while he threatened to kill her should she report to her sister.

“That afternoon, I entered daddy’s room to change my clothes after I arrived from school. He came into the room and he forcefully pulled my pant and put his penis in my vagina.

“Whenever he had sex with me, I would be afraid to tell my mother because he warned me not to tell anybody or else I would die.

“But the following day after our teacher taught us sex education, I told my friend about it.

Delivering judgement, Justice Yemi Fasanmi, held that, “The confessional statements of the defendant, both written and oral, with that of the medical doctor showed without equivocation that he indeed committed the offence.

“The defendant has betrayed the victim’s trust in him, looking at him as a father and also the trust of his brother-in-law who saw him as a good guardian.

“The evidence of the charge was corroborated as there were several penetrations into the vault of the victim’s vagina.

“I, therefore, hold that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant had sexual intercourse with the victim severally and it was not consensual.

“The mandatory provision is that once a defendant is found guilty of rape, he is liable to life imprisonment.

“Based on the above reasoning and in strict adherence to the provisions of the law, I have no alternative than to sentence the defendant to life imprisonment and I so hold.”

“The sole issue for determination is resolved in favour of the prosecution. He is convicted as charged and sentenced to life imprisonment.”