Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Offences Court in Ikeja convicted and sentenced a commercial motorcycle rider, popularly called Okada rider, Wale Isaiah to life imprisonment for defiling a 10-yearold girl.
Justice Soladoye handed down the verdict after she found Isaiah guilty of the two-count charge of rape brought against him by the Lagos State government.
The state had stated that the convict committed the offence on April 25, 2018, at Magboro along Badagry Expressway, Lagos.
Justice Soladoye in her judgement held that the prosecution proved the essential ingredients of defilement beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge also held that the victim was consistent in her oral testimony which she noted was corroborated by other evidence before the court.
The court stressed that the corroborative evidence showed there was the penetration of the hymen, excessive laceration, perennial tear of the vagina, and that the injury to the vagina is such as seen in sexual assault.
Justice Soladoye maintained that the convict is a sexual lunatic who took advantage of the poor victim who was on an errand to supply sugar to her mother’s customer.
She held, “The defendant is a sexual lunatic who defiled her mercilessly. He is hereby convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.”
The judge further directed the Lagos state government to enter the convict’s name into the register of sexual offenders in the State.
She also advised parents and guardians while delivering her judgement to protect their children from predators like the convict.
Justice Soladoye further warned that school-age children should not be found on the streets as doing so violates the Child Rights of Lagos State, 2015.
The state prosecutor, Olusola Soneye had called five witnesses and also presented evidence during the trial.
The witnesses are the survivor, her father and a medical doctor while Wale along with his father testified in his defence.
The survivor in her testimony said that the defendant sexually assaulted her when she was on errands to sell sugar for her mother.
She said he defiled her when the convict said he wanted to buy sugar and gave her N1000, but closed her mouth with a handkerchief, gave her a blow, dragged her into an uncompleted building and used a wrapper to tie her leg, then had unlawful sexual intercourse with her.
