On Monday, February 12, Kenneth Mba, a 53-year-old rubber merchant, was given a life sentence in jail by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court for defiling his friend’s 12-year-old daughter.
In his ruling, Judge Rahman Oshodi stated that the prosecution had established the convict’s defilement charge beyond a reasonable doubt. Having found Mr Mba guilty of the crime of defiling a minor, the court rendered the verdict.
The convict’s confessional statement, according to the presiding judge, shows that he defiled the survivor in his chamber three times and handed her N200 each time after sex was verified by the survivor’s testimony.
But he claimed his spoken testimony to refute the accusation was inadmissible. The convict’s testimony lacked credibility, thus Mr. Oshodi called him a pathological liar whose statement was an afterthought.
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After more than two decades of friendship, he claimed the criminal had betrayed the survivor’s father’s confidence. The survivor’s evidence, according to the judge, was clear-cut, concise, and unambiguous. The confessional statement, according to the judge, was also in line with the proof that was presented in court.
“I must accept that his confessional statement is true, as it is consistent, unequivocal and corroborated by the prosecutor’s evidence. The medical report also corroborated the prosecution witness evidence,” he said.
After that, Mba was found guilty and given a life sentence. The convict’s name must also be entered on the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register, per the judge’s ruling.
“You have been convicted of defilement and the offence is grave. You, at the age of 51, had sex with your friend’s daughter, whom you knew was 12 years old. Despite the overwhelming evidence before the court, you came to lie in your oral evidence.”
According to Mr Oshodi, he was facing a mandatory sentence for the offence.
“I hereby sentence you to life imprisonment. You shall serve your term in the Ikoyi Custodial Centre, where you are currently being held,” he said.
The convict testified as a lone witness, whereas Inumidun Solaarin, the state attorney, called three witnesses.
According to Ms Solaarin, the offence was perpetrated by the convict on Ogunjimi Street, Iwaya, Yaba Lagos, at some point in April 2021.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
