Justice Rahman Oshodi of a Lagos Sexual Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, yesterday, sentenced a self-acclaimed Alfa, Yakubu Isiaka, and a cobbler, Alex Michael, to life imprisonment.
Isiaka and Michael were sentenced after they were found guilty of the charge brought against them by the state government.
The duo were arraigned on a two-count charge delineated as ID/12196C/2020 and filed on May 27, 2020, for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl.
They were first arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the counts before Justice Sybil Nwaka.
However, after the judge’s elevation to the Court of Appeal, the defendants were re-arraigned before Justice Ramon Oshodi on August 3, 2021, on the allegation that they had sexual intercourse with the under-aged girl three times between the months of October and November 2019 at Fatai Olukoga Street, Igbo Olowu Estate in Ikorodu, Lagos.
Michael allegedly had carnal knowledge of the girl three times, while Isiaka had unlawful sexual intercourse with the teenager two times.
Their offence of defilement was contrary to provision of section 137 of the Criminal Law Cap C. 17, Vol. 3 Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The prosecution commenced the trial and called witnesses to testify against the defendants, among whom were the Investigation Police Office (IPO), the survivor and others.
While delivering judgment, Justice Oshodi held that the prosecution proved the case of defilement against the defendants and therefore sentenced both to life imprisonment.
“I therefore sentenced the first defendant Michael, to life imprisonment and second defendant, Isiaka (aka Alfa), to life imprisonment,” the court held.
The judge also ordered that their names be registered as sex offenders in the Lagos State Sexual Offenders’ Register.
Similarly, Justice Abiola Soladoye of the same court has sentenced a painter, Sunday Ajibade, to life imprisonment for defiling a 14-year old daughter of his neighbour.
Justice Soladoye held that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt the charge of defilement against Ajibade, a resident of Abule-Egba in Lagos.
The judge found the survivor’s evidence straight, neat and uncontroversial as she identified the defendant, who sent her to bring his torn cloth from the room and hurriedly followed her, pulled out a knife, threatened her and forcefully had sex with her.
Soladoye, thereafter, pronounced the defendant guilty as charged and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
She ordered that Ajibade should have his name registered in the sexual offences register as maintained by Lagos State Government.
The judge, therefore, cautioned children to be very careful while running errands for irresponsible adults like the defendant.
“It is becoming a recurring decimal that these kids, whenever they are sent to buy anything, they are told to drop it in the room.
“Kids should learn from this and avoid being entrapped by irresponsible paedophiles like this defendant.
“Children should be schooled on how to run errands and they should avoid going to rooms to deliver such messages as this is becoming very dangerous and it is a modus-operandi adopted by paedophiles,” she said.
