Man sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexually abusing a 70-year-old woman

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Judge Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja on Friday convicted a man, Lawal Moshod, of sexually abusing a now deceased 78-year-old woman (name withheld) and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.

Justice Oshodi sentenced the convict to imprisonment after finding him guilty on an amended count of attempted sexual assault by penetration, in contravention of Section 262 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

The accused had previously pleaded not guilty at the arraignment on May 13 by the State Prosecutor, Bolu Okeowo, but when he was re-arraigned on May 30, 2024 on the amended charge, he changed his plea to guilty.

The judge then asked the defendant whether he understood the content of his guilty plea and the court’s obligation to impose the maximum sentence for the charges.

Lawal admitted that he entered into the deal voluntarily and was satisfied with his lawyer’s advice.

In his judgment, Justice Oshodi noted that the convict was charged with a single count of rape based on a complaint dated August 26, 2019, filed on September 9, 2019, and he pleaded not guilty on May 13, 2022.

The judge sentenced the defendant to 14 years in prison after examining the agreement between the prosecution and the defense.

The court ordered that the 14-year prison sentence begin on January 2, 2019, the day of his pre-trial detention.

He explained that one could imagine the pain of a 78-year-old woman suffering from dementia, even though the victim was already dead.

“One can imagine the pain, suffering and anguish you have inflicted on her; her family will live with this painful reality,” he said.

The judge ordered the transfer of the convict to the Kirikiri Medium Custodial Centre and the inclusion of his name in the Lagos State Sex Offenders Register.

Earlier, before the verdict was announced, the prosecutor informed the court that she had called two witnesses and presented some evidence to prove his case.

Okeowo urged the court to sentence the convict in accordance with the agreement dated May 30, 2024.

He further stated: “The defendant met the survivor, a now deceased 78-year-old woman, in Maryland on January 2, 201; she was suffering from dementia and could not find her way home.

“The defendant offered her his help because it turned out that it was a deliberate act of sexual abuse.

“The accused took the 78-year-old survivor to a remote area and raped her. Some good Samaritans heard her crying and rushed to rescue her.

“She was taken to the police station and it was confirmed that the survivor was bleeding from her private parts and had bruises on her face.

“She was later taken to Mirabel Medical Center for examination. The result of the medical examination was recorded as Exhibit F, which documents physical trauma and forcible penetration of the survivor’s private parts.

The prosecutor also informed the court that both parties had reached an agreement on the guilty plea and sentence dated May 30, 2024.

When Judge Oshodi asked the convict if he had anything to say to the court, he urged the court to forgive him.

Defense attorney Oyebanji Yusuf asked the court to show mercy.

He said: “He regrets what he has done. I ask this honourable court to grant justice mercy. He has committed a very serious offence considering the age of the victim.”

However, the prosecutor urged the court to convict the defendant according to the agreement.

“For God’s sake, we request this honorable court to sentence the defendant according to the compromise agreement. The compromise agreement does not diminish the gravity of the crime committed by the defendant.

“The victim was 78 years old; she simply sought help from the accused. He took advantage of this and raped her, causing great harm to the victim and leading to her death.”

She added that this is a strong message and a strong signal to society.

“My God, this sends a strong message and signals to society that sexual abuse will not be tolerated in society.”

“We have also asked that his name be added to the sex offenders register,” he said.