Man, 23, Bags Life Jail For Defiling Girl, 14, For 5 Years

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Justice may have come the way of a 14-year old girl in Lagos State, who was defiled for 5 years by a 23-year old security guard, Blessing Okon, as he will now spend the rest of his life in prison custody.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that Justice Abiola Soladoye, of an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, on Monday sentenced Okon to life imprisonment without an option of fine for defiling the girl, who is a student.

The State Prosecutors, Mr. Olusola Soneye and Mrs. Olufunke Adegoke, said that Okon committed the alleged offence on 13th September, 2019, at Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The Judge stated that the prosecution succeeded in proving the essential ingredients of defilement beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Judge described Okon as shameless and noted that the victim was consistent in her oral testimony before the Court, which established that the defendant had been having sexual contact with her since she was nine years old.

“This defendant was lacking in compassion, he had sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl. There was overwhelming evidence against him as presented by the prosecution. He therefore, should pay for his sex crime.”

“The defendant is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment without an option of fine.”

“He is to have his name registered in the Sexual Offenders Register as maintained by the Lagos State Government,” the Judge ruled.

Soladoye in the judgment commended the chaplain of the survivor’s school, who revealed that the victim was defiled by the guard. The chaplain alerted her father about the crime.

“The chaplain of the school in question had a listening ear thereby allowing the victim to share her thoughts, worries, anxieties and frustration which eventually led to the reporting of this case to the authorities.”

“I salute the chaplain’s courage and candor for not sweeping this case under the carpet.”

“I wish him all the best and I do hope sincerely that others in positions of power will be able to speak up in issues of sexual abuse and report them to the authorities,” Soladoye said.

He was 20 years old when he committed the offence.

The prosecution presented three witnesses; the survivor, her father, and a medical doctor while Okon testified solely in his defense.

The survivor in her testimony said that the defendant had sexually assaulted her when she was nine years old by touching her breasts on two occasions.