Three days after a Keke NAPEP driver was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a minor, an Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has again sentenced a teacher, Omotayo Adanlawo to life imprisonment for raping a 10-year-old girl.
The judge, Justice Samuel Bola, who gave the judgement, said the defendant failed to give convincing evidence and testimony to prove his innocence in the rape allegations.
It was gathered that on August 24 2018, the teacher, Adanlawo who used to attend the girl’s father’s church, allegedly went to the victim’s house at Iju in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State while she was alone and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her after which he threatened her not to tell anyone else she will die.
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After the incident, the victim was said to have complained of stomach pains as she could not walk afterwards prompting her mother to take her to a hospital for examination where it was revealed that the girl had been defiled.
According to a family source, after rigorous interrogation, the little girl opened up and said her father’s church member, Adanlawo had sexual intercourse with her.
The case was then reported at Iju-Itaogbolu Divisional Headquarters before being transfered to Ala area command, and a medical report revealed that there was actual penetration into the 10-year-old girl’s private part.
Based on the legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution, Teacher Adanlawo was dragged before Justice Samuel Bola on a one-count charge of rape contrary to Section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Law of Ondo state.
While the prosecution led by a state counsel, Stella Adegoke called five witnesses including the victim and her mother, the defendant was the only one who stood for himself.
Adanlawo in his statement before the police claimed the young girl told him to lay on her after asking for 50 naira and ‘chinchin’, but during cross examination he had claimed that he was at home at the time of the incident.
He also claimed to be battling with hernia and as such was not medically fit to have had sexual intercourse with the girl.
Justice Bola in his judgement, however, said the prosecution was able to prove there was penetration in the rape allegation against Adanlawo.
He also said the defendant gave no medical report to prove his condition as well as any evidence to suggest he was in his house as claimed on the day of the incident.
The Judge subsequently sentenced Adanlawo to life imprisonment in line with section 358 of the crimanal laws of Ondo State.
Reacting to the judgement, the Attorney General and State Commissioner for Justice, Adekola Olawoye said the judgement had shown that it would not be business as usual for paedophiles in the state.
Recall that a middle-aged man, Blessing Kingsley was on Monday sentenced to life imprisonment by a High Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, for raping a 14-year-old girl.
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