Man Jailed For Life For Defiling Minor

For defiling his neighbour’s five-year-old daughter in his room, a technician, Efe Akioya, was yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment.

He was jailed for life by Justice Abiola Soladoye of an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court after being found guilty as charged.

Justice Soladoye held that the prosecution had proved the ingredient of defilement against the convict.

The judge declared that this was also corroborated in the vivid testimony of the survivor’s mother, who found a watery and smelly substance, suspected to be male semen, in her daughter’s undies after she came out from the convict’s room.

According to the judge, "the survivor testified she was five years old when the defendant defiled her.

“The defence raised the issue of the medical report not being tendered. I will say that a medical report is not a prerequisite in establishing the offence of defilement as there is ample evidence before this court that are cogent, compelling, and convincing that the survivor was sexually violated, and she recognised ‘brother Efe’ when she saw him’.

“Her testimony was lucid, unambiguous, and truthful. Aside from the vivid narration by this survivor, the evidence of the prosecution witness three (PW3), Dr. Maria Fadogba is crucial as her medical examination revealed penetration of the private part.

“Also, the evidence of the investigative police officer (IPO), Mr. Orebe, corroborated the evidence of the survivor and her mother.

“I refer to exhibit A, which was tendered during this trial, which is the extra-judicial statement of the Defendant at Gender Unit in Ikeja and I quote; ‘today being May 12, 2020, about 3.45 p.m, I was in my room watching GOTV television, then I saw the victim pass through the passage and I called her, she sat down beside me in my room and I later carried her on my lap, from there, I released on her body’.

“The testimony of the defendant in the court denying the charge against him is an attempt to mislead the court. Exhibit A was tendered and this was the statement of the Defendant,”

Justice Soladoye said that the convict was everything a neighbour should be, as the survivor identified him as the man who had sexual intercourse with her.

The judge also stressed that parents should not be careless with young children unattended, as the menace of defilement was the order of the day.

“The Defendant is vile, reckless, irresponsible, and selfish by sexually violating the victim, a girl of five years old who reside in the same compound with him.

“He messed around with her purity and caused her physical, psychological, and emotional trauma. This is indeed very sad and condemnable in all ramifications.

“There is a need for good parenting and close monitoring can never be over-emphasized.

“I have evaluated the evidence of both the prosecution and defence, and I am convinced that the prosecution has proved the charge of defilement against the defendant.

“The defendant, having been found guilty as charged, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment and should have his name registered in the Sex Offenders Register of Lagos State,” the judge said.

While the trial lasted on the matter, the prosecution had revealed that the convict committed the offence on May 12, 2020, on Meiran Road, Opposite Omoroga Market, Lagos, in violation of Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

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