Justice Abiola Soladoye of an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Wednesday sentenced a painter, Azeez Salau to life imprisonment for defiling his neighbour’s 9-year-old daughter, (name withheld).
While delivering the judgement, Justice Soladoye, held that the prosecution had sufficiently proved the three ingredients of defilement against Salau.
Justice Soladoye said that the convict was a shameless and sexual pervert who entered the room of his neighbour while she had gone to work at night and had sex with her daughter.
According to her, the survivor recognized the convict as “Daddy kalid” who had sex with her three times in her mother’s room while mother was at work.
She said that the testimony of the survivor was clear, consistent and coherent under rigorous cross-examination, as her evidence was corroborated with the medical report.
The judge held that: “The first prosecution witness, Mrs A, a 10-year-old child testified before this court that she lives with her mother and identified the defendant in the dock as their neighbour, known as ‘daddy kalid’.
“She said that the defendant would come to her room and have sexual intercourse with her that no one was usually home when it happens.
“In her words she said ‘I am always on the bed and he is also on the bed with me, he touches my body with his hands and uses his penis to have sex with me through my vagina’.
“Dr. Alagbe Oyedeji of Mirabel Medical Centre, said that the medical report showed multiple healed laceration as there was blunt forceful penetration of the vagina.”
Soladoye also held that mother of the survivor who testified said that she was a night worker and that the survivor and her brother were made to sleep alone in the house.
“The mother of the children said one of her neighbour, mummy Darasimi informed her of the incident.
“The defendant, in his defence, said that he had issue with the mother of the girl but his story did not add up as he tries to distance himself from the commission of the crime but his testimony does not hold waters.
“The victim in this case, gave a vivid, thorough evidence which were corroborated with the medical report,” she said.
The judge thereafter convicted him of the charge and consequently sentenced him to life imprisonment.
According to her, his name should be registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.
She said: “The defendant is a neighbour to the victim and in this case, he ought not to have done what he did to the child.
“This should serve as a strong warning to the perpetrators of this act that the day of reconning is near.
“Parents are once again advised that the need for mentorship and monitoring of their children is not negotiable.
“Consequently, the defendant is hereby found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.”
The state prosecutors, Mr Olusola Soneye and Ms Abimbola Abolade called three witnesses while the convict testified as a sole.
The prosecution submitted that the convict committed the offence sometimes in January 2020 on Oshiboyede Street, Selewu, Igbogbo, Ikorodu Lagos.
According to them, the offence contravenes Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
