By Felix Kuyinu
A painter has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a 20-year-old neighbour in Ikorodu Lagos.
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday convicted the offender, Sikiru Oluwasegun, who commited the act on July 19, 2021, at 3:45am.
The offence is contrary to Section 260 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
Justice Oshodi found the jailbird’s written confessional statement submitted by the police as a clear evidence. He said the lawbreaker admitted to have raped the victim, a student of Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH, in Ikorodu.
The judge said, “The defendant, in his confessional statement, admitted to making his way into the room of the victim and raped her because he liked her but he could not tell her as she was new to the compound.”
“The survivor reported the incident to the Student’s Union of the institution on the next day of the incident and they got the police to arrest him.”
Having listened to the offender’s plea for mercy, alongside the prosecutor, Inumidun Solarin, praying for a life imprisonment verdict, requesting for his name to be registered in the Lagos State sex offenders register, Justice Oshodi continued, “Your actions show a callous disregard for the victim’s fundamental human rights.
“I have considered the factors applied in your confessional statement that you were attracted to the victim but could not express your interest correctly because she was a new tenant.
“Being attracted to someone does not give you the right to force yourself on them. There is no justification for rape
“You admitted to the offence in your statement but during trial, you concocted a story that you were robbed and beaten on that night.
“Your attempt to mislead the court shows you are not remorseful and signifies your disregard for the rule of law.
“You are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment at the Medium Correctional Centre.”