Court sentences trader to 25 years imprisonment for rape

A Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced a 43-year-old trader, Adelaja Oloyede, to 25 years imprisonment for raping a tailor at the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

Justice Abiola Soladoye delivered the judgment in the suit between the State of Lagos vs Adelaja Oloyede.

The defendant was earlier arraigned on April 10 2019 by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lagos State Ministry of Justice on a one-count charge of rape.

Oloyede, who pleaded not guilty, committed the crime of rape in 2017 at his residence on 2, Adelaja Street, Ikorodu, Lagos.

The prosecuting team led by Olusola Soneye, a deputy director in the (DPP), said the victim, apart from being raped was sexually harrassed and coaxed to insert some fetish substance into her private part.

He added that the victim who was a virgin before the incident pleaded with the defendant during the rape incident, but her plea fell on deaf ears.

“The defendant overpowered her, tore her underwear and raped her. As a result of the rape the victim fell ill and was treated in Kwara State”, the prosecuting counsel,” Olusola said.

The prosecuting team presented four witnesses – the victim, her sister, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) and a medical doctor before the court.

The prosecution also tendered the victim’s blood-stained underwear and a black-tie as exhibits to the court.

According to the victim, the defendant forcefully had sexual intercourse with her and inserted a fetish substance in her private part afterwards.

“I was on my way to church on the day of the incident, Oloyede shook my hands and thereafter I followed him to his house, where he led me into a room where there were numerous fetish items,” the victim said.

“He asked me to kneel and he made several incantations.”

The victim told the court that she reported the crime to the authorities immediately after she left the defendant’s residence.

Justice Abiola Soladoye found the defendant guilty of the charge of rape contrary to section 260 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

She said that the prosecution team had proved its case against the defendant beyond all reasonable doubts.

Consequently, the defendant is found guilty of the charge of rape was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment by the court.

The judge further ordered that Oloyede Adelaja should be registered as a sex offender in the Lagos State Sex Offender’s Register.

(The Guardian)