Man, 29, Defiles Girl, 7, Sentenced To Life Imprisonment

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

A 29-year old man, Idowu Gbolahan, will spend the rest of his life in prison after a Lagos Court found him guilty of defiling of a 7-year old girl.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the 29-year-old vulcanizer was on Monday sentenced to life imprisonment at an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court.
Justice Abiola Soladoye sentenced the convicted paedophile, Idowu Gbolahan, of No. 44, Sanusi Street, Shomolu, Lagos, after he pleaded guilty when he was arraigned on a charge of defilement of the 7-year old victim.
While sentencing Gbolahan, the judge noted that the government of Lagos State was making efforts to rid the streets of paedophiles and that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others who might try such act.
She said, “The defendant was arraigned today in court and he pleaded guilty to the one-count charge of defilement of a child contrary to Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015.
“The defendant, upon arraignment admitted to defiling the victim who is a seven-year-old child.
“I have listened carefully to the allocutus of his defence counsel, Mr. Kelechi Obi. The Judge noted that the offence in question was a strict liability offence.
“An offence against a child is a violation of her chastity and I cannot imagine the emotional and physical scars she will endure for the rest of her life.
“Idowu Ismail Gbolahan, male, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment, this is the sentence of this honourable court.”
Earlier before the sentence, Mrs. Fehinti Ogbemudia, the lead state prosecutor said the defendant defiled the complainant, who was visiting her grandmother on August 11, 2018.
“My Lord, the victim on this fateful day went to her grandmother’s room to drink some water and was suddenly carried by the defendant into a room where he shut the door on her and defiled her.
“It is further alleged that he removed her pants and had sexual intercourse with her.
“My Lord, the victim’s screams attracted a neighbour who came to the victim’s rescue.
“My Lord, the defendant made a confessional statement and the victim was then referred to the Mirabel Center of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for medical examination to corroborate her statement,” Ogbemudia
The convict was taken to the Kirikiri Maximum Prison where he will spend the rest of his life.