The Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, has sentenced a 65-year-old landlord, Igwe Ambrose, to double life imprisonment for inserting fingers into the private part of his tenant’s children, ages seven and 11.
The presiding judge, Justice Abiola Soladoye, On Monday, held that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt the four-count charge, bordering on sexual assault by penetration and indecent treatment of a child against Ambrose.
Justice Soladoye said the defendant was a dirty old man who fingered and touched the breasts of the survivors under the pretext of helping them with their school homework.
The judge said Ambrose was identified and the evidence of the survivors exposed him as a bare-faced liar and untruthful.
Justice Soladoye said: “The children decided to open up to their mother, who then informed her husband. He thereafter confronted the defendant and the matter was reported to a police station.
“The police visited the scene and the defendant was invited to the police station where he denied the allegations against him.
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“The testimonies of the prosecution witnesses (survivors) were credible, as they cannot consent to being fingered by the landlord.
“The defendant was identified as the assailant and their evidence were corroborated by their mother and the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) who visited the crime scene and a clear account of the assault and indecent treatment was confirmed.”
The judge, thereafter, convicted the defendant of the four-count charge levelled against him, contrary to Sections 135 and 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
She said: “Count one and two carry life imprisonment each; the defendant is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the count charge.
“In respect to counts three and four which carry seven years jail term, the defendant is hereby sentenced to seven years imprisonment on each of the count charge.
“His name is to be entered in the Sexual Offences Register maintained by Lagos State Government.”
The state counsel, Olufunke Adegoke, called four witnesses – two survivors, mother of the survivors, and the IPO through whom five exhibits were tendered.
The convict testified for himself.
The prosecution told the court that the landlord committed the offences between January and June 2021 at Shagari Estate in the Ipaja area of Lagos.
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