By: Adeosun Ewatomi
A 41-year-old car cleaner named Ezekiel Udoh has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Lagos court for sexually assaulting and impregnating his 12-year-old neighbor's granddaughter.
The presiding judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, found Ezekiel guilty as charged. In delivering the judgment, Justice Oshodi stated that the evidence presented before the court revealed a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior by the convict.The judge noted that Ezekiel had taken advantage of the young girl's vulnerability and proximity, luring her to his room under the pretense of running errands and then engaging in sexual intercourse with her twice. The judge condemned Ezekiel's actions as a calculated and persistent pattern of abuse against a child.The prosecution successfully proved beyond reasonable doubt that Ezekiel committed the offense of defilement, which led to the 12-year-old girl's unwanted pregnancy. The judge stressed that the impact of the convict's actions was severe and far-reaching, forever altering the course of the young victim's life.
Justice Oshodi sentenced Ezekiel to life imprisonment under Sections 33 and 38 of the Lagos State Domestic and Violence Agency Law, 2021, stating that the sentence serves as a deterrent to others contemplating similar crimes against children. The judge also ordered that Ezekiel's name be recorded in the Lagos State Sex Offenders Register.
The prosecution team, led by Lagos State counsel Mr. Babajide Boye, presented three witnesses during the trial: the minor survivor, her grandmother, and a social worker. Ezekiel Udoh was the sole witness for the defense.
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