Appeal Court affirms 60 year sentence for ex-Chrisland School teacher, Adeboyega Adenekan

LAGOS, Nigeria – A Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on Monday, upheld  the 60 year sentence passed on a former supervisor of Chrisland School Lekki, Mr. Adegboyega Adenekan for defiling a two year and 11 months old pupil placed under his care.

In upholding the sentence, the three man panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba dismissed the appeal filed by the defendant and unanimously upheld the 60 years sentence passed on the former supervisor.

The court held that Adenekan’s appeal lacked merit and consequently dismissed the appeal he filed through his lawyer, Mr. Olatunde Olajuyigbe. SAN.

Justice Sybil Nwaka of a Special Offences court had on October 24, 2019 sentenced Adegboyega Adenekan to 60 years imprisonment for defilement. The judge specifically described him as wicked for subjecting the little girl to such an ordeal at a very tender age.

The testimony that nailed Adegboyega Adenekan

Earlier at the lower court, the girl (Dapo) not her real names, who experienced the sordid ordeal when she was just 2 years, 11 months threw the court into sobre moments and deep contemplation when she was brought into the court. She was quite naive, dark, lovely but yet very eloquent in her testimony which fits perfectly with the video evidence that preceded her testimony and cross examination.

Unlike in the video, where she was restless, this time, she was more coordinated as she sat right in front of her Lordship, Justice Sybil Nwaka, who has to descend from her secured high seat to the open court and sat directly in front of the sweet little girl.

Her initial task was to get her in the mood, get her used to the new environment so that she could speak freely.

Firing the first salvo was the prosecution, led by B.T Boye, a Senior State Council who inquired about her first and present school. She mentioned Chrisland but when asked if she knows Adegboyega Adenekan, her alleged assailant, standing in the duck, her answer was in the negative which brought temporary relief to the defence team. But she however mentioned the name of the alleged abuser and identified him by photographs which could not be admitted as evidence following roburst arguments marshaled by the defence team led by Olatunde Olajuyigbe, SAN.

Then came the bombshell. Prosecutor: What did he do to you?

Dapo: He put his wewe(private part) in my wewe. She admitted that Adenekan abused her twice and that her class teacher refused to listen when she tried reporting the issue.

” I tried to report to my teacher but my teacher did not listen, so I reported to my mummy. She asserted that the assailant abused her the first time in the toilet in his office and the second time in a hall outside his office. She told the court that she resisted him by pushing herself out of the toilent, but that Adenekan closed her mouth warned her to be careful and that he has something to show her in the toilet.

At this point, the prosecutor asked, where is your wewe?

Dapo: Here( pointing to her private part). Where is his wewe”. Again, she said, here, touching her private part.

Prosecutor: How did you feel when he was doing it?

Dapo: Painful, she said.

The defence team also took turn to cross examine the little girl.

Defence: Has anybody told you he will kill you?

Dapo: No

Defence: Have you seen Mr. Adenekan today?

Dapo: No, I only see him in the pictures.

Defence: Did you know there are 3 tables in Mr. Adenekan’s office?

Dapo: No

Defence: Do You know his office is not near your class?

Dapo: No

Defence: Have you entered Mr. Adenekan’s class?

Dapo: Only when he did the bad thing to me.

Defence: Who was with you then?

Dapo: Only Me.

Defence: Who bath you in the house?

Dapo: Sometimes, Anu, everytime my mummy. She answered even with her sleepy eyes. At a stage she slept and with the aid of her dejected mother, she was back on her feat and took all the question.

It was a sitting that lasted into the evening, almost 6PM. Justice Nwaka was willing and ready to continue until the technicians came in to ask her to rise due to shortage of fuel forcing her to adjourn till May 21, 2018 for continuation of trial. Mother of the victim testified earlier, read her very lengthy testimony here.

A psychologists has also testified with video evidence before now. We earlier reported exclusively that the assailant, Adegboyega Adenekan failed polygraph test. Following consistent report of the incident, instead of sacking the alleged assailant and issuing a statement to condemn the act, Chrisland School sent a memo to teachers and parents, alleging that journalists were paid to report the incident.