The Lagos State Special Offences Court on Tuesday sentenced an artisan, Gbenga Olasunkanmi, to life imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old pupil.
Olasunkanmi was arraigned before Justice Abiola Soladoye on one count of defilement.
The police prosecutor, Peter Owolabani, told the court that the convict defiled the victim around 5pm on September 6, 2017, in the Isolo area of Lagos State.
The victim was said to have gone to repair her school bag in the convict’s shop when her mother told her to return it because the job was not well done.
After repairing the bag again, the convict pulled the victim back while she was leaving and forcefully defiled her in his shop.
The prosecution called three witnesses, including the victim’s father.
Delivering her judgement on Tuesday, Justice Soladoye noted that the prosecution witnesses were compelling and consistent in their evidence.
She said, “Pouncing on an innocent young girl should be condemned in all ramifications as she has now suffered emotionally and psychologically. This callous defendant is mean and vicious and is not fit to live in a sane society.
“The evidence of the prosecution witnesses has been compelling, consistent and the prosecution has proved the offence of defiling a child under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015. The defendant having been found guilty of the offence, as charged, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment with no option of any fine.
“His name, Gbenga Olasunkanmi, should also be registered in the Sex Offenders Register kept by the Lagos State Government. This is the judgement of the court.”
