Teacher bags life imprisonment for defiling 9-year-old pupil

The Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, on Thursday, sentenced a teacher, Peter Jacob, to life imprisonment for defiling a 9-year-old pupil with special needs.

The prosecution team, Olusola Soneye, Olufunke Adegoke, and Abimbola Abolade presented four witnesses as eight exhibits were also tendered during the proceedings, while the defence counsel called four witnesses.

The prosecution told the court that the teacher committed the offence in 2019 at Thescol College, CMD Road, Magodo in the Ikeja area of Lagos State.

The lawyers stated that the survivor, who suffered from dyslexia, was in the primary school section of the school which also houses the secondary school where Jacob worked.

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They added that the offence violated Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

Ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Abiola Soladoye, held that the prosecution efficiently proved the charge of defilement against the defendant.

The judge said the evidence of the prosecution witnesses was cogent, compelling, and believable.

Justice Soladoye held that the evidence of the teacher and the three defence witnesses (staff of the school where the defendant worked) were self-serving.

“The defendant was observed to be unrepentant and unremorseful.

“The prosecution witness 1 (survivor) properly identified the defendant when she gave her evidence and her evidence was properly corroborated by the other three witnesses.

“The prosecution has successfully established the ingredients of the offence against the defendant.

“The defendant is Godless, brutally wicked, lustful and an act unbecoming of a teacher.

“I find him guilty of the charge and he is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment,” the judge declared.

Justice Soladoye added that the convict should have his name registered in the sexual offence register as maintained by Lagos State.

The Star