Security guard bags 7yrs jail term for indecent treatment of minor

A 35-year-old security guard, Eboh John Ogechi, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for indecent treatment of a 13-year-old girl and assault. The verdict was delivered by Justice Rahman Oshodi of a Sexual Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos. Ogechi was initially arraigned on three counts, including defilement, but was acquitted of that charge.

The prosecution successfully proved the charges of indecent treatment and assault. The incident occurred on May 1, 2017, at Consolidated Hallmark Insurance PLC in Obanikoro, where Ogechi was employed as a security guard. He had only been working there for one month at the time.

The court found Ogechi guilty of fondling and sucking the 13-year-old girl’s breasts, actions that violate sections 135 and 172 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the trial, the court considered the evidence, including Ogechi’s statement, and found him guilty. Justice Oshodi, while delivering the sentence, emphasised the seriousness of the crime, particularly the exploitation of a young and vulnerable girl.

He stated that the aggravating factors outweighed any mitigating circumstances. Ogechi will serve a seven-year sentence for indecent treatment and a concurrent one-year sentence for assault.

The sentence will be calculated from his arrest date in May 2017. In addition, his name will be added to the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register.