Admin l Monday, June 06, 2022
LAGOS, Nigeria – A Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court sitting in Ikeja on Monday sentenced a `lesson teacher,’ Joseph Ibanga, to life imprisonment for defiling and impregnating a 14-year-old girl.
While delivering judgment, Justice Abiola Soladoye said prosecution proved the charge of defilement beyond reasonable doubt against the lesson teacher.
“The survivor was a minor and her consent is immaterial. The evidence before the court showed that the defendant had sex with her in her home and in his own matrimonial home. She subsequently became pregnant and had a baby.
“The medical report corroborated the evidence of the victim. The defendant is responsible for the act and there is evidence before the court to prove same. The survivor identified the defendant as her lesson teacher and the person who had forced sexual intercourse with her.
“The defendant is very ungrateful and wicked. He ravished the student with impunity and taught her nonsense. He has brought ridicule to the teaching profession and this punishment will serve as a lesson to him.
“The defendant is hereby found guilty as charged, based on the avalanche of evidence against him, and he is sentenced to life imprisonment.”
The judge ordered that the name of the convict be entered into the register of sexual offenders of Lagos State. The prosecution presented three witnesses at the trial, while the defendant has no witness, he gave his sole defence.
According to the prosecution team, Mr Olusola Soneye, Mrs Olufunke Adegoke and Ms Abimbola Abolade, the defendant committed the offence between January and March 2019 at No.12, Iresi St. Orile-Agege, in Lagos.
They submitted that the defendant was a lesson teacher, who taught the survivor at home, because she was not in school for a long time, due to slow learning. They said that the defendant had sex with her in her home, where she lived with her aunt, and whenever he came to teach her and subsequently became pregnant and had a baby, contrary to section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, which stipulates life imprisonment for offenders.
