An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, on Monday, convicted and sentenced one Taiye Agboola to life imprisonment for defiling his neighbour’s 10-year-old daughter.
Justice Rahman Oshodi held that the convict’s admittance, the medical report, the testimony of the investigating police officer, and the testimony of the victim’s mother were consistent.
Oshodi said the medical examiner had in her evidence told the court that the victim informed her that the convict penetrated her vagina with his finger.
“My Lord, at the first encounter the victim said Agboola dragged her into his brother’s room, removed her pants, and fingered her. The report of Marabel Centre’s findings was that the hymen of the victim was reddened, there was a laceration and the injury around the vagina area was reddish. This is the genital examination findings,” the judge quoted the medical examiner as saying.
The judge further stated that the incident happened on August 30, 2015, at No 7, Ijaiye Ojokoro, at 3pm.
Oshodi quoted the testimony of Agboola where he said, “On August 30, 2015, I was sleeping in my elder (Tope Agboola) brother’s room, when the victim came, I pulled her, robbed her body and I dipped one of my right fingers, in her private part.”
According to the judge, the preceding was in line with the investigating police officer’s evidence, who said the convict had confessed and admitted to having penetrated the victim’s vagina with his finger.
“There cannot be a better eyewitness than the account of Agboola. The convict’s confession, the IPO, and the medical report corroborate the victim’s evidence.
“I accept the confession of Agboola that he put his finger in the victim’s vagina and robbed her body,” Justice Oshodi said.
He, therefore, held that, “The prosecution has been able to prove the burden of defilement of a child by penetration, it proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
“Mr Taiye Agboola, you are hereby convicted of the defilement of a child.”
In his allocution, the defence counsel prayed the court to give the convict a second chance as he was a first-time offender without any criminal records.
But the prosecution counsel urged the court to sentence Agboola according to the charge and asked the court to enter his name into the register for sexual offenders of Lagos State.
In his judgment, Justice Oshodi held, “Mr Taiye Agboola, that you, an adult, sexually penetrated a 10-year-old girl by fingering her vagina in her parents’ house which is supposed to be a safe place.
“The physical, psychological harm and trauma you have caused the victim, will affect the growth of the victim.
“You are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment for sexual penetration of a child and your name shall be written in the register of the Lagos State sexual offenders’ register.
“He should be returned to the Ikoyi Custodial Centre where he is currently being held.”