By Adenike Ayodele
An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Wednesday sentenced a bricklayer, Gabriel Awaye to two life sentences for defiling a 13-year-old girl in his room.
Delivering judgment, Justice Abiola Soladoye, held that the prosecution proved the ingredients of the two counts charge of defilement and sexual assault against Awaye
Soladoye said that the defendant, by his audacious sexual recklessness, was not fit to be in the community of civilised people and should be locked away for life.
According to her, the survivor was lucid and unambiguous while giving her evidence before the court.
She said that the survivor’s witness was also corroborated with other prosecution witnesses.
The judge said: “the prosecution witness one (survivor) testified before this court that she was at her grandmother’s place when her friend, Rofiat told her that her sister sent for her.
“The witness said when she got to the place, she did not meet her sister but saw the defendant who pushed her on the mat and sodomised her.
“The evidence of the defendant is laced with lies as he tried to detach himself from the offence by saying the mother of th survivor tried to have sexual relationship with him.
” To the mind of this court, the prosecution witnesses were truthful in their testimonies and their evidences were corroborated.”
Soladoye said upon careful evidence adduced before the court, the court found Awaye guilty of the two-count charge.
“The survivor identified the defendant as the man who defiled her while sh was 13 years old.
” The defendant, is hereby found guilty and is sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the two-count charge and he should have his name registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state counsel, Ms Abimbola Abolade prevented three witnesses during trial while the convict testified as sole witness.
The prosecutor submitted that the convict committed the offences on June 2 2021, on Agbawaye Street, Command, Agbado Oke-Odo, Lagos.
According to the prosecution, the offences contravened Sections 127 ad 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.
(NAN)
