An Ado-Ekiti High Court, on Monday, sentenced a 42-year-old commercial driver, Adewale Ilesanmi, to life imprisonment for raping a 16-year-old girl in Isan Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
The police arraigned Ilesanmi on December 16, 2021.
Delivering judgement on Monday, Justice Monisola Abodunde, held that the crime of rape of minors was assuming a frightening dimension in the jurisdiction.
“I cannot contradict the terms imposed by the law, the mandatory provision is that, once a defendant is convicted of rape, he is liable to imprisonment for life.
“Based on the above reasoning and in strict adherence with the provisions of the law, I have no alternative than to sentence the defendant to life imprisonment and I so hold,” the judge ruled.
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The police said the convict committed the offence on February 13, 2021, at Isan Ekiti, within the jurisdiction of the court when he raped a 16-year-old girl, contrary to the provisions of Section 31(2) of the Child’s Right Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
In her statement to the police, the victim said her father sent her to Iludun Ekiti from Isan Ekiti to get his ATM card and N8,000 he kept at home.
“On my way back to Isan, I boarded the convict’s car.
“He touched me inappropriately on my breast and I warned him to stop.
“He took me to a bush between Isan and Iludun and held me captive with a cutlass in his hand.
“He threatened to kill me with the cutlass if I refused to cooperate. He raped me and collected my father’s ATM card and N8,000 from me and later gave it back to me and begged me not to tell my father,” she said.
To prove his case, the prosecutor Folashade Alli, called three witnesses and tendered one pant, a big cutlass, a medical report, defendant statements, among others as exhibits.
The defendant in his own defence spoke through his counsel, T.J. Omidoyin, but called no witnesses.
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