An Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court has sentenced a middle-aged artisan, Gbenga Olasunkanmi, to life imprisonment with no option of any fine for defiling a 12-year-old customer in his shop.
The presiding judge, Justice Abiola Soladoye, handed down the sentence after finding him guilty of a charge of defilement of a minor proffered against him by the Lagos State Government.
Justice Soladoye noted that the evidence of the prosecution witnesses have been compelling, consistent and the prosecution has proved the offence of defiling a child under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
The judge ordered that the convict name, Gbenga Olasunkanmi, should also be registered in the Sex Offenders Register kept by the Lagos State Government.
“Pouncing on an innocent young girl should be something that should be condemned in all ramifications as she has now suffered emotionally and psychologically.
“This callous defendant is mean and vicious and is not fit to live in a sane society.
The defendant having been found guilty of the offence as charged, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment with no option of any fine” the judge ruled
According to the state prosecutor, Mr Peter Owolabani, the convict who is a bag repairer, committed the offence at 5 pm on September 6, 2017, at Isolo, Lagos.
The survivor had gone to repair her schoolbag and when she returned her mother noticed that the bag was not properly repaired and told her to return to the artisan to properly repair the bag.
“After he repaired the bag for the second time, as the survivor was leaving, the convict pulled her back and forcefully defiled her in his shop,” the prosecutor said.
During the trial, three witnesses- the survivor’s father, the survivor and a medical doctor testified for the prosecution while the convict testified solely in his defence.
