Metro
Man, 59, Rapes Two Daughters, Gets Life Imprisonment
The Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sitting in Ikeja on Monday sentenced a 59-year-old artisan, Eze Chukwuma, who defiled his two daughters for nine years to double life imprisonment.
Justice Abiola Soladoye who handed down the verdict held that the prosecution sufficiently proved the two counts bordering on defilement against Chukwuma.
The judge stated that the testimonies of prosecution witnesses were corroborated with that of the victims.
Soladoye further held that valid evidence was laced and documented, and the admission of the convict to have had canal knowledge of his two daughters during cross-examination was crucial.
“The survivors told this court that their biological father had been having sex with them after their mother died during childbirth.
“The oldest was nine years old at the time. The children were taken to their village, and even after telling their kinsmen about their father’s acts, nothing was done.
“They returned to Lagos, and the second child reported to the school after her older sister ran away from home as she could no longer endure the assault.”
Justice Soladoye stated that the school invited the Lagos State Ministry of Education and social workers which led to the convict’s arrest, while the survivors were taken to an orphanage.
“The defendant admitted the act and stated that he was sorry. This is also in his statement which was admitted and marked Exhibit A. He is a dirty father who should be locked up for life as his conduct is disgracing.
“The defendant is found guilty as charged and hereby sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the two charges,” she said.
The judge also ordered that the convict’s name should be registered in the Sexual Offences Register of Lagos State.
She praised the survivors and their school authorities for speaking up and reporting to the necessary authorities.
Lagos State counsel, Mrs Olufunke Adegoke, presented five witnesses while the convict testified as a sole witness during the trial.
Adegoke submitted that the convict committed the offences between 2008 and 2017 at No. 2, Agbeke Street, by Iyana-Era Bus-stop, Ijanikin, Lagos State.
The punch
By Eric Elezuo
A security expect and Chief Executive Officer, Safety Signatures Limited, Dr. Cynthia Gregg, has identified the need for individuals to have intimidate and dominion over their fellow man as one of the reasons for the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Nigerian Civil space, thereby resulting in insecurity and unsafe habitation.
Gregg made the observation while participating as a panelist during the panel session of the 2023 National Security Conference of the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), on Thursday at the Civic Centre, Lagos.
The security practitioner noted that the issue of small arms and light weapons in the hands of non state actors, has become a major concern to all and sundry as killings abound, affecting both men in uniform and their civilian counterparts in the country today.
“We have noticed that in our society today, the person who carries the weapon is the most feared, and so because everyone wants to be feared, wants to dominate and intimidate the other person, they go to any length to acquire illegal weapons. That explains why when a robber encounters someone, the first thing they do is brandish a weapon or unleash some brutality to subdue their victim. It is the norm, unfortunately,” she said.
She further called on the public to encourage and help the law enforcement agencies to carry out their duties by saying something when they see something, and advocated community engagement to deal with challenges of proliferation of lethal weapons in the hands of non state actors.
Again, Gregg lauded the efforts of NAOSNP in using its platform to propagate safety and security through fruitful engagements with relevant institutions and reportage of credible security stories as well as advocacy through its enviable conferences.
The Lagos State Police Command had said the autopsy conducted on Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, had been concluded.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to The Punch during a telephone conversation on Thursday.
He said, “Autopsy has been concluded. Awaiting results.”
Earlier on, while responding to an enquiry by the paper concerning arrests made by the police in connection with the late singer’s death, Hundeyin said, “I can’t answer questions on the arrests yet because I don’t have that update. However, the nurse is in our custody; I can confirm that.”
The body of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has been exhumed for autopsy.
Lagos State Police spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed the development via his X handle on Thursday.
The Lagos Police image maker wrote: “Exhumation completed. Autopsy to commence. #JusticeForMohad #Justice4Mohbad.”
