Rewire Sentenced To Life Imprisonment For Raping Neighbour’s 12-Yr-Old Daughter
Kemisola Oye
A 26-year-old automobile technician (popularly called rewire), Sunday George has been sentenced to life imprisonment for sexually defiling his neighbour’s 12-year-old daughter.
The trial judge, Justice Abiola Soladoye of a Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court earlier today sentenced George after finding him guilty as charged by the state government.
The state prosecution counsel, Mr Olusola Soneye and Mrs Olufunke Adegoke had told the court that George, sometime in 2020 at Mabinuori Street, Ladi Lak, Bariga did have unlawful sexual intercourse with the 12-year-old girl.
His offence contravened provision of Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, (2015).
He pleaded not guilty and the prosecution commenced trial.
During the trial, the prosecution presented two witnesses against the convict while the defendant testified as the sole defence witness.
The statement of the defendant, which was also tendered as evidence, was marked as exhibit ‘A’.
However, while delivering judgment, the judge said that the prosecution sufficiently proved the charge of defilement against the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt.
She referred to the convict as an irresponsible adult and a pathological liar whose testimony was an afterthought as it lacked credibility.
“The court was satisfied with the testimony of the survivor because it was unambiguous. The story as narrated by the survivor was very chilling, cogent, convincing and truthful. The defendant defiled her by having sex with her in the bathroom and threatened her not to tell anyone.
“He had sex with her on several occasions in the bathroom and anytime she goes to watch movies on the defendant’s phones in his room.”
The judge further held that identifications in criminal cases are very germane. She noted that the survivor in the case identified the man in the dock as their neighbour who defiled her severally in the bathroom and his room.
“Her testimony was corroborated by the evidence of the IPO, Inspector Medinat Ganiyu who investigated this case and testified that the survivor and her father came to the station to lodge a complaint and upon arrest, the defendant wrote a statement.
“Although the defendant denied robbing the survivor’s breast and watching movies with her on his phone in the room, this is an attempt to lie his way out, but he failed because the statement he told the court that he did not make, was tendered as evidence before the court.
“The defendant is an irresponsible adult and a shameless paedophile, whose denial of having any sexual relations with the survivor is an afterthought.”
Justice Soladoye, therefore, said that after carefully reviewing the evidence before the court, “the defendant is hereby found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.”
She said that his name should also be entered in the Sexual Offenders Register as maintained by the Lagos State Government.
The judge however appealed to relevant authorities not to relent in sensitising and enlightening parents in marketplaces, inside buses and train terminals, as well as during meetings of Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) on proper monitoring of their wards so as to avoid sexual predators from tampering with their innocence.
Eighteen-Eleven Media
