Admin I Monday, Jan. 15, 2024
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja has handed down a 14-year prison sentence to Chukwuemeka Ejike, a middle-aged man, for the attempted sexual assault of a nine-year-old girl.
The judge expressed profound condemnation for the offense, describing it as a heinous act. He questioned the motives of a man like Ejike in seeking such inappropriate interactions with such a young child.
Ejike had initially been charged and arraigned in June 2017 on a two-count charge related to defilement. The incident occurred in May 2017 at No 1, Samson Street, Oke Odo, Agege, Lagos. Despite initially pleading not guilty, during the trial, four witnesses, including the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), the survivor’s father, a medical doctor, and the survivor herself, testified against the defendant.
The survivor, who was nine years old at the time, referred to the defendant as “Baba Chinedu” and testified that he forcefully had intercourse with her, corroborated by a medical examination at the Mirabel Center.
However, Ejike later opted for a plea bargain, resulting in an amended charge on January 4, 2024. During the re-arraignment on January 15, 2024, he pleaded guilty to the amended charge of attempted sexual assault.
Justice Oshodi, in convicting Ejike, affirmed that the defendant fully understood the implications of his guilty plea and had not been coerced. He noted the abundance of evidence supporting the charges and declared the prosecution successful.
During his plea for leniency, Ejike implored the court for mercy, vowing not to engage in such actions again. The defendant’s counsel, Chinwe Owojori, in her allocutus, appealed for leniency, highlighting that Ejike had changed his plea promptly and demonstrated remorse.
Justice Oshodi, in delivering the sentence, imposed a 14-year imprisonment term on Ejike and directed that his name be entered into the Sexual Offences Register maintained by the Lagos State Government.
