Carpenter gets life imprisonment for defiling primary school pupil

The Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, has sentenced a 26-year-old carpenter, Tayo Akinboyewa, to life imprisonment for engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with his 12-year-old neighbor, a primary school pupil.

Justice Rahman Oshodi, who delivered the verdict found Akinboyewa guilty of the charge of defilement based on compelling evidence presented during the trial, emphasised that the survivor’s account of the events, supported by medical evidence and the defendant’s own confession, provided substantial proof of the crime committed.

A crucial aspect of the case was Akinboyewa’s admission, documented in exhibit G, where he confessed to engaging in sexual intercourse with the minor on two occasions.

Despite the defendant’s denial and attempt to discredit the prosecution’s case, the judge highlighted the consistency and credibility of the evidence presented, including the testimonies of the minor’s mother and the Investigative Police Officer.

The prosecutrix in her evidence said the defendant, whom both stayed on the same street in Oshodi, came to her house to borrow fetcher to draw water in her house and in the process, used the rope of the fetcher to draw her closer and forcefully had sex with her in the backyard.

“She narrated that the first occasion was in December 2020, while the second time was in January 2021, when he came to her mother’s shop near the canal and had sex with her.

“Outside the defendant’s confessional statement, I have looked for other credible evidence that the defendant had sex with her.

“He used to fetch water from the prosecutrix’s house, he used to borrow fetcher and also visit her mother’s shop near the canal,” he said.

Justice Oshodi underscored the severity of the offense, the breach of trust, and the profound physical and psychological impact on the victim. The decision to impose a life sentence was based on the gravity of the crime and the need to deter such abhorrent behavior.