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Authorities in Nigeria’s Ekiti state have sentenced a 42-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a 16-year-old girl.
In her statement to the Police, the victim said:
“My father sent me to Iludun Ekiti from Isan Ekiti to bring his ATM card and N8,000 he kept at home. On my way back to Isan, I boarded the commercial driver’s car, I was alone with him in the car. He first touched my breast and I cautioned him to stop it.”
“He stopped the car while getting to a bush. I opened the door and ran away. He pursued and caught me, he carried me on his shoulder to a nearby bush. He threatened to kill me with the cutlass in his hand if I refused to cooperate. He removed my pant and forcibly had sexual intercourse with me. I bit his hands and tore his cloth as I cried, but he refused to leave me.”
“Then, collected my father’s ATM card and N8,000 from me. When he returned them to me, he begged me not to tell my father. But as I got back to the road, I saw my father on a motorcycle, I narrated what happened to me, the driver was arrested and later taken to the Police station,” she stated.
In defense, the accused spoke through his lawyer, but did not call any witnesses.
Justice Monisola Abodunde in the judgment said, “the crime of rape of minor is assuming a frightening dimension in this jurisdiction, I cannot contradict the terms imposed by the law. The mandatory provision is that, once a defendant is convicted of rape, he is liable to life imprisonment.”
“Based on the above reasoning and in strict adherence with the provisions of the law, I have no alternative than to sentence the defendant to life imprisonment and I so hold,” the Judge pronounced.
