Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sentenced a head teacher, Benjamin Ogba, to life imprisonment on Tuesday for the sexual assault of two seven-year-old girls.
The judge determined that the prosecution had convincingly established the case of defilement, meeting the legal standards required for such a verdict.
She characterized the testimony from Ogba and his defense witnesses as unreliable, stating that their accounts were riddled with deception and lacked credibility.
Justice Soladoye referred to Ogba as a “serial paedophile” and denounced his claims as a “pack of lies.
The convict and his fellow defence witnesses were not truthful and credible in their testimonies, during the trial. Their testimonies were a pack of lies and fell asunder like a pack of cards.
This serial paedophile, a head teacher, who is expected to teach his students morals, stooped so low and defiled the underage girls. What a shame!
This irresponsible and randy teacher, who teaches his students nonsense, should be locked away,” Justice Soladoye ruled.
The judge commended the bravery of the two young victims for speaking out against their attacker in court, emphasizing the importance of reporting sexual abuse rather than allowing it to be ignored.
She encouraged parents to be vigilant and proactive in bringing such matters to the attention of the appropriate authorities.
Continuous education and awareness of this issue of sexual menace must be at the forefront of all stakeholders in the administration of justice to advocate the rights of young children.
The defendant, having been found guilty of the two counts bordering on defilement, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the counts.
The sentencing, will however, run concurrently and his name registered in the Sex Offences Register as maintained by the Lagos State,” she said.
During the trial, the state prosecution, led by Mr. Olusola Soneye, presented three witnesses, while the defense called four.
The prosecution detailed that the assaults took place between April and May 10, 2019, at Shalom Private School on Oke-Ira Road in Ebute Metta, Lagos.
It was revealed that one of the girls confided in her mother, leading to the matter being reported to law enforcement.
The prosecutor noted that the offence was against Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, which were put into effect in 2015.
