A Lagos court sitting in Ikeja has on Tuesday, condemned one Suleiman Usman to life imprisonment for having carnal knowledge his 8-year-old daughter.
The trial judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, pronounced the judgement on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, after the court found him culpable for rape charge as preferred against him by the Lagos State government.
The suspect was standing trial for allegedly defiling his two daughters, aged 8 and 5, at their residence at No. 2 Bale Street, Onisewo area of Apapa in Lagos.
The allegations levelled against Usman contravene the provisions of section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
He had, however, pleaded not guilty to the two counts charge when he was arraigned.
Recall that Usman case file was reassigned to Justice Oshodi after the initial trial judge, Justice Sybil Nwaka’s elevation to the Court of Appeal in 2019.
During the trial, the prosecution called four witnesses including the first survivor, the 8 years old girl, the Investigative Police Officer (IPO), the defendant’s wife (the mother of the survivors), and the medical doctor from Mirabel Centre to testify before the court.
After the close of the prosecution case, defence opens his case. Three witnesses including the defendant gave evidence before the court.
However, Justice Oshodi exonerated the convict of the second charge.
The trial judge put it to held the prosecution that there was no enough to prove the second charge against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt, noting that the second survivor did not testify to the second charge related to her defilement.
On count one, the court held that the testimony of the first survivor was in line with that of the medical doctor.
Justice Oshodi, however, stated that, having considered the ingredients of the offences, the confessional statement, circumstantial evidence, and the eyewitness account in sentencing the father to life imprisonment.
He said, “Our society is prone to sexual abuse, sexual crime against children is so prevalent. Our laws in Lagos have zero tolerance for your gang of paedophiles; that is not acceptable. In your case, the survivor is your daughter. You put your penis in her virginal and her anus, the survivor was 8 years at the time because she had excruciating pain.
“You are hereby convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment,” the court ruled.
