Admin l Monday, January 31, 2022
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – A young man in his 30s, identified as Blessing Okon was on Monday morning sentenced to life imprisonment by the Domestic and Sexual Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos. Justice A.O Soladoye found him guilty of the offence defiling a 14 year old girl when she was 9 years old and sentenced him accordingly.
Her lordship said the prosecution succeeded in proving essential ingredients of defilement beyond reasonable doubt and that the plaintiff was consistent in her statement and oral testimony which she said was corroborated by other evidence before the court and found the defendant guilty as charged.
Justice Soladoye averred that corroborative evidence showed penetration of the hymen though it was a normal Virginia but that there was injury in the virginal lining.
According to her, “the defendant is lacking in compassion for having sexual activity with a 14 year old girl. Therefore he should pay for his sexual crime. The defendant is shameless and has been having sex with the plaintiff since she was 8”, she said adding that the offender is “guilty of Section 137 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos state(ACJL)and is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment without an option of fine. His name is to be entered into the register of sexual offenders in Lagos State”, the judge said.
Justice Soladoye commended chaplain of the school that reported the incident for having a listening ear to listen to her worries and complains and for reporting the matter to the authority without any cover up and urged chaplain of other schools to do the same.
The offence was committed at the defendant residence at Ribado Road, Ikoyi Lagos. The defendant according to evidence presented before the court told the plaintiff who had begged for ice cream that there was dirt on her chest and robbed her breast on one occasion.
At another occasion Blessing Okon cornered the plaintiff who was on the way to meet her mother in the backyard on the staircase and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her.
