MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 37-year old school teacher, Peter Jacob, of Thescol College, CMD Road, Magodo, Lagos, has been jailed for life for defiling a 9-year old pupil with special needs inside the classroom.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the judgment of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, which sentenced Jacob for defiling the pupil with dyslexia.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Abiola Soladoye, held that the prosecution had efficiently proved the charge of defilement against the defendant and the evidence of the respective prosecution witnesses were cogent, compelling and believable.
The judge also held that the evidence of the defendant and the three defence witnesses, who were staff of the school, where the defendant worked were self-serving.
“The defendant was observed to be unrepentant and unremorseful. The prosecution witness 1 (survivor) properly identified the defendant when she gave her evidence and her evidence was properly corroborated by the other three witnesses.”
“The prosecution has successfully established the ingredients of the offence against the defendnat. The defendant is Godless, brutally wicked, lustful and an act unbecoming of a teacher. I find him guilty of the charge and he is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment.” the judge stated.
Justice Soladoye ordered that the convict should have his name registered in the sexual offence register as maintained by the Lagos State.
The prosecution team, Mr. Olusola Soneye, Mrs. Olufunke Adegoke and Ms. Abimbola Abolade presented four witnesses and eight exhibits were also tendered during the proceedings while defence called four witnesses.
The prosecution told the Court that the convict committed the offence sometime in 2019 at the school premises.
They submitted that the survivor, who suffered from dyslexia, was in the primary school section of the school, which also housed the secondary school, where Jacob worked.
The offence violated Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015 and he was sentenced accordingly.