Kunle Awosiyan
Justice Rahman Oshodi of a Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court has sentenced a father, Suleiman Usman to life imprison for defilement his two daughters.
Usman was arraigned by Lagos state government on two counts charge bordering on defilement of his eight-year old and five-year old daughters at their residence at 2 Bale Street, Onisewo area of Apapa area of Lagos State.
His offences contravene the provisions of section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
Usman had earlier pleaded not guilty to the two counts charge when he was arraigned before Justice Sybil Nwaka in October 2019.
However his case was reassigned to Justice Oshodi following the elevation of Nwaka to Appeal Court.
During the trial, the prosecution called four witnesses among which were the first victim, the eight-year old girl, the Investigative Police Officer (IPO), the mother of of the victim and a medical doctor from Mirabel Center.
Reading his judgement after thorough examinations and arguments by the prosecutor’s lawyers and the defendant’s lawyer,
Justice Oshodi exonerated the convict of the second charge.
The court held that the prosecution failed to prove the second charge against the defendant as the second victim did not testify to the 2nd charge related to her defilement.
On count one, the court held that the testimony of the first victim corroborated the medical doctor. Justice Oshodi said that he had considered the ingredients of the offences, the confessional statement, circumstantial evidence, and the eyewitness account in sentencing the father to life imprison.
According to him, the society is prone to sexual abuse, sexual crime against children are so prevalent.
“Our laws in Lagos have zero tolerance for your gang of pedophiles that is not acceptable. In your case, the victim is your daughter. You put your penis in her vaginal and her anus, the victim is eight-year old at the time because she experienced excruciating pain.
