Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday sentenced a painter, Sikiru Oluwasegun, to life imprisonment for raping his 20-year-old neighbour.
The judge found Oluwasegun guilty of having sexual intercourse with the survivor (name withheld), without her consent on July 19, 2021, at 3:45 am in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
Justice Oshodi handed down the jail term after he resolved the issue for determination in favour of the prosecution who tendered the convict’s confessional statement as evidence.
He found Oluwasegun’s confessional statement given to the police in which he admitted to raping the victim to “meet the criteria of the Supreme Court and he was direct, positive and unequivocal” in establishing that he committed the offence
“The Oluwasegun, in his confessional statement, admitted to making his way into the room of the prosecutrix (name withheld) and raped her because he liked her but he could not tell her as she was new to the compound,” the judge said.
Oshodi said Oluwasegun was a painter who lived in the same building as the survivor who is a student of the Lagos State Polytechnic, also known as Lagos State University of Science and Technology, Ikorodu.
He said the survivor reported the incident to the student union of the LASUSTECH on the next day and they got the police to arrest Oluwasegun
The judge also said that the convict wrote a voluntary statement admitting to the offence in front of the Investigating Police Officer who also visited the incident scene.
However, Justice Oshodi said the convict attempted to recount his admission of the offence during trial, by saying he was robbed on the day of the offence and that the police beat him and forced him to sign the statement which he did not write.
“I do not believe Oluwasegun when he said he was forced to sign the confessional statement. Aside from the confessional statement, the evidence shows that Oluwasegun had the opportunity to commit the offence,” Oshodi said.
The judge convicted Oluwasegun of rape contrary to Section 260 of the Criminal Law, Laws of Lagos State 2015
When the judge asked the convict if he had anything to say before his sentencing, he asked the judge to have mercy on him.
The prosecutor, Inumidun Solarin, however, told the court to sentence the convict to life imprisonment according to the law and to order that his name be registered in the Lagos State sex offenders register
Solarin told the court to consider that the convict was not remorseful of what he did to the survivor.
“The effect of the action of Oluwasegun will be long-lasting on the prosecutrix,” Solarin said.
When the judge called on the defence counsel for his allocutus, he said he had nothing to add.
During sentencing, Oshodi said, “Your actions show a callous disregard for the victim’s fundamental human rights.
“I have considered the factors applied in your confessional statement that you were attracted to the victim but could not express your interest correctly because she was a new tenant.
“Being attracted to someone does not give you the right to force yourself on them. There is no justification for rape
“You admitted to the offence in your statement but during trial, you concocted a story that you were robbed and beaten on that night
Your attempt to mislead the court shows you are not remorseful and signifies your disregard for the rule of law.”
Oshodi sentenced him to life imprisonment and ordered him to be returned to the Medium Correctional Centre where he would spend the rest of his sentence.
