Nigerian student jailed for rape in UK

A Nigerian postgraduate student in the United Kingdom, Chiemka Okoronta, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the horrifying rape of a 17-year-old girl in Bradford.

The sequence of events began on March 25 when Okoronta and the victim were passengers on a night bus near Morley, Leeds.

Evidence presented at Bradford Crown Court detailed how the teenager’s phone battery had died, leaving her with no way to get home.

Okoronta seized this vulnerability, offering to share a taxi to Bradford with her.

However, prosecutors revealed that the vehicle did not go to her home; instead, it drove to Okoronta’s flat.

Once inside, he lured the girl further, locked her in a bathroom, and proceeded to rape her.

Following the assault, the brave victim managed to escape the flat and immediately used a passer-by’s phone to contact the police.

Okoronta was subsequently convicted on multiple counts of rape. Beyond the 10-year jail term, the court ruled he must serve three additional years on extended licence and will be placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court also noted that he is likely to be deported to Nigeria after he completes his sentence.

The enduring trauma of the attack was made clear in the victim impact statement, where the girl shared that the incident “turned my life upside down,” causing her to suffer from constant flashbacks and nightmares.

Judge Sophie McKone, in her ruling, condemned Okoronta as a “dangerous sexual predator” who deliberately isolated the teenager to carry out the assault.

West Yorkshire Police commended the victim for her immediate report, which was crucial to the case.

Det Con Sue Sutcliffe urged other survivors to come forward, stating, “I would like to commend the victim in this case for her immense bravery in coming forward straight away to report this horrific crime.

“I would urge anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence, to please report it to us so we can take action.”