P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the judgment of the Delta State High Court sitting at Effurun Criminal Division, on Tuesday 28th March, 2023.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Michael Nduka Obi, found him guilty as charged and sentenced him accordingly.
The convict was arraigned before the High Court on a charge of having unlawful carnal knowledge of a child at Effurun, on 30th March, 2020, an offence punishable under Section 218 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21 Vol. 1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.
The prosecution, led by Mrs. C. O. Onojovwo, a Chief State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Delta State, called three witnesses. The witnesses informed the Court that the defendant, who was a neighbour to the child’s parents at the time of the incident, formed the habit of sleeping with her when her parents were not around.
Godspower would often give the victim between N50 and N100 after every act and threatened to kill her and her parents, if she ever reported to them.
However, a vigilant neighbour, who noticed the dastardly act, reported to the victim’s parents, who in turn reported to the local vigilante. And a trap was set for him, he was eventually caught in the act and handed over to the Police for investigation.
During interrogation at the Police Station, he made confessional statement and was subsequently charged before the Court.
He pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned.
During the trial, he told the Court that the girl’s parents had issues with him and as such framed him up for the offence.
Delivering judgement, Honourable Justice Michael Nduka Obi held that the prosecution proved the case against the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt. He dismissed the denial of the defendant as an afterthought.
The Court stated that persons such as the defendant needed to be kept out of circulation so as to rid our streets of pedophiles and the sentence would serve as a deterrent to other pedophiles, still walking freely on the streets of Delta State.
The Court also stated that the actions of the defendant was despicable as he had succeeded in taking the child’s innocence from her, which she could no longer get back.
The convicted Godspower Ojakovo has since been registered in the Delta State Sex Offenders Register and his details uploaded to the national database