Vigilante sentenced to life in prison for raping minors

A high court in Edo State has sentenced vigilante Enaho Odigie to life imprisonment for the rape of a 12-year-old girl.

Justice Mary Itsueli ruled that the offence contravened section (4) and was punishable under section 5(1) of the Edo State Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, 2021.

She said: “A person convicted of rape under section (4) of this Act shall be liable to imprisonment for life without the possibility of fine.”

She found that the court had no discretion in imposing a sentence and therefore the accused in this case was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

She said: “It is irrelevant that the accused and the prosecutor were not in a compromising position, since rape is in most cases a crime committed in secret, where the only direct witnesses are the victim and the perpetrator.

“The victim was not married to the defendant. Notably, both the victim and the defendant testified that they did not know each other before the fateful day.

“As the learned counsel has rightly submitted, the standard of proof required in a criminal trial has been met beyond reasonable doubt. From the totality of the evidence before me, therefore, I have no doubt that Pw2 was raped and that the accused was the one who raped her.

‘In this case, in my view, the seriousness of the offence justifies a penalty, which I must therefore impose.

“The defendant is hereby convicted of the offense of illicit sexual intercourse, which is punishable by life imprisonment.”

City & Crime learnt that the convict raped the minor on August 22, 2021 in Egba community in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area.