Kemisola Oye
A Lagos Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court earlier today (Tuesday 14 January 2025) sentenced an Arabic teacher, Oladosu Sakiru to 21 years imprisonment for attempting to sexually assault his pupil, a 13-year-old girl.
Justice Rahman Oshodi pronounced the sentence following Sakiru’s guilty plea to the amended two-count charge of attempted sexual assault by penetration and indecent treatment of a child.
Justice Oshodi, in his judgment, berated the convict for breaching the trust the parents of the survivor had in him by enrolling their children in the Islamic school.
The court held that the evidence before the court indicated a pattern of predatory behaviour as the convict subjected the survivor to inappropriate touching and forced himself on her.
According to the court, when the convict is confronted with his action, he seeks refuge in the often repeated phrase “It was the work of the devil”.
Justice Oshodi further held that religious leaders and teachers such as the convict held a sacred place in society and when such individuals broke the trust placed in them by preying upon children, the court must respond with appropriate severity to reflect society’s condemnation and deter others from committing similar acts.
“As an imam and an Arabic school teacher, you occupy a position of significant trust, that trust extended not only to the 13-year-old child, the one you victimised but also to her parents and the entire community who look to you for spiritual and moral guidance.
“You betrayed this trust in the most deplorable manner”, the court held.
The court thereafter sentenced Sakiru to 14 years imprisonment on count one and seven years jail term on count two.
Justice Oshodi held that the sentencing should run concurrently and the convict’s name be registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register.
Earlier, defence counsel, Mr Nelson Onyejaka, in his allocutus, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
Mr Onjejaka had said that the convict was a first-time offender and he has two wives to take care of.
He had prayed the court for leniency in the sentencing.
State counsel, Ms Bukola Okeowo, however, prayed the court to sentence the convict accordingly.
Okeowo told the court that the convict committed the offence between February and March 2022 on Odusanmi Street, Mushin, Lagos.
The convict had initially pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned on 17 March 2023.
The prosecution had called two witnesses (survivor and her father) through whom pieces of compelling evidence were detailed against the convict.
The prosecution, however, approached the court on 6 September 2024 that the convict had opted for a plea bargain which necessitated the amended charge.
According to the prosecution, the offences violate sections 135 and 262 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
Eighteen-Eleven Media