Court sentences man to life imprisonment for raping UNILAG student

A Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, Ikeja, on Tuesday, sentenced a man, Collins Okechukwu, to life imprisonment for raping and robbing a 25-year-old student at the University of Lagos, Akoka.

Delivering judgement, Justice Abiola Soladoye, who described Okechukwu as a pathological liar, held that the prosecution proved the charges of rape and robbery against Okechukwu beyond reasonable doubt.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the judge sentenced Okechukwu to life imprisonment for rape, and 21 years’ imprisonment for robbery.

She said, “The testimony of the defendant portrayed him as a pathological liar in the sense that he claimed that University of Lagos Guest House was fully booked and the survivor was sex-starved, which made them have sex on the bare floor.

“This is unbelievable and watery.

“The defendant lured the survivor into the admin block, brought out a pistol, raped her and robbed her of her valuables thereafter.

“The claim of the defendant to have met the survivor at the guest house and she agreed to have sex with him was consistently laced with irregularities and found unreliable.

“The defendant is found guilty as charged of the two offences and sentenced to life imprisonment in respect to rape and 21 years’ jail term for robbery.

“The sentences shall run concurrently.

“He should have his name entered in the Sex Offenders Register of the Lagos State Government.”

Sholadoye also cautioned female students in tertiary institutions against giving out their telephone numbers to strangers.

“What manner of a woman is the victim herself? She should desist from giving out her numbers for unnecessary frolicking,” the judge said.

NAN reported that four witnesses testified at the trial and three exhibits were tendered.

According to prosecution counsel, Mr Peter Owolabani, the convict committed the crimes on December 17, 2017, at 9pm behind the Faculty of Arts Building, UNILAG.

He said the convict also robbed the survivor of her phones, money and a gold chain.

Owolabani submitted that the survivor met the convict one year after the incident, invited him to her supposed birthday party and got him arrested. (NAN)