Driver receives life sentence for kidnapping and sexual abuse of 10-year-old girl

Judge Rahman Oshodi decided that the prosecution had brought two charges of seduction and defilement against HuduThe convicted man was sentenced to two years in prison on the first count and to life imprisonment on the second count.

In his judgment, Oshodi said the facts of the case were shocking as Hudu cruelly abducted the ten-year-old survivor from the safety and care of her parents for three agonising days.

“Her father couldn’t eat and her mother cried incessantly, worried sick about her missing child.

“The callous disregard you have shown for the welfare of a child, the emotional anguish you have inflicted on her parents is shocking.

“Worse still, during those three days you repeatedly defiled and sexually abused this defenseless young girl at the tender age of ten.

“You have inflicted unimaginable trauma and injuries that no child should ever have to endure, and you have robbed her of her innocence.

“Throughout the entire trial, you have shown no remorse whatsoever; you have blatantly lied in your testimony and denied the clear evidence against you, including your previous statement to the police.

“The web of untruths you have spun to evade responsibility has only increased your guilt.

“This is a serious case of child abduction and rape and the law considers the crimes to be strictly punishable in order to reflect the abhorrence of society, punish the perpetrator and protect other children from a similar fate,” said the judge.

He also considered that the fact that the convicted person was a first-time offender did not invalidate the above.

“Given the seriousness of the crimes, the aggravating circumstances and the lack of remorse, I sentence you as follows:

“For count one, namely the offence of kidnapping under section 141, I sentence you to imprisonment for a term of two years, to run from the date of your arrest, July 23, 2019, as shown in Exhibit A-A1.

“For count two, namely desecration of the penitentiary system under section 137, I sentence you to life imprisonment and will also register you as a sex offender.

“The sentences will be served concurrently. You will serve your sentence in the maximum security prison or wherever the Nigerian Correctional Service directs you.” Oshodi ruled.

The judge said that the convicted man had brought the punishment upon himself through his evil deeds.

“I hope you will use your time in prison to reflect and improve,” added Oshodi.

NAN reports that the Chief Public Prosecutor, Babajide Boyehad called three witnesses: the survivor, her father and a Oluchi Nwoke-Okoia nurse at Women at Risk International Foundation.

However, the convicted man testified as the only witness for the defense. Certified copies of his out-of-court statement dated July 23, 2019 were obtained and marked as Exhibit A-A1.

The prosecution had stated that the convict committed the offence on June 30, 2019, at Adekunle Street, Idi Araba, Mushin, Lagos. He told the court that the minor was returning from an errand that night when the convict beat her unconscious and abducted her.