An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Thursday 30, March 2023 sentenced a teacher, Peter Jacob, to life imprisonment for defiling a nine-year-old pupil with special needs in the state.
Justice Abiola Soladoye said that the prosecution had efficiently proved the charge of defilement against the defendant.
According to her, the evidence of the respective prosecution witnesses was cogent, compelling and believable.
The judge held that the evidence of the defendant and the three defence witnesses was self-serving.
She said: “The defendant was observed to be unrepentant and unremorseful. The prosecution witness one (victim) properly identified the defendant when she gave her evidence and her evidence was properly corroborated by the other three witnesses.
“The prosecution has successfully established the ingredients of the offence against the defendant.
“The defendant is Godless, brutally wicked, and lustful, an act unbecoming of a teacher. I find him guilty of the charge and he is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment.”
Soladoye said the convict should have his name registered in the sexual offence register as maintained by the Lagos State Government.
The prosecution told the court that the convict committed the offence sometime in 2019 at Thescol College, CMD Road, Magodo, Ikeja.
They submitted that the victim, who suffered from dyslexia, was in the primary school section of the school which also housed the secondary school where Jacob worked.
The offence violated Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
This is a welcomed development as this crime is against humanity, women will continue to create more awareness on any form of violence against women and would also ensure that the perpetrators of such crimes will not go unpunished.