An Abeokuta High Court has sentenced a 36-year-old man, identified as Mutiu Ajibola, to 14 years’ imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl.
Ajibola, who resided at Somoke village, Owode-Egba, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, was convicted by the court on one count of having sexual intercourse with a minor.
the prosecuting counsel, Mr A. Adewale, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on December 11, 2018, around 4 pm on Ofada Road at Somoke village.
He told the court that the convict had unlawful carnal knowledge of his 11-year-old victim.
Adewale explained that the defendant, under the guise of buying fufu, called the victim who was hawking the item along Somoke village.
“The convict asked her to come inside the room, but she replied that her mother had instructed her not to enter into anybody’s room while she was hawking.
“The convict pushed her inside his room, carried her into his bed and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her, which caused bleeding from her vagina.
“Ajibola asked her to go home and threatened her not to tell anyone what happened between them or else she would die.
“But when she got home, her mother got to know when she noticed stains of blood on her clothes.
“She thereafter reported the convict to members of the community’s vigilante group, who arrested and handed him over to the police,”.
Adewale said the offence committed contravened Section 32 of the Child Rights Laws of Ogun 2006.
In her Judgment, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, the Chief Judge of Ogun State, held that pieces of evidence tendered before her proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the convict was guilty of the offence.
The Judge sentenced him to 14 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
