A motorcycle rider named Monday Olukunle (also known as Seaman) was given a seven-year prison sentence by an Ikeja High Court on Thursday for kidnapping a sixteen-year-old girl.
Prosecution counsel claims that on September 30, 2022, in Lagos, Olukunle abducted the girl in an unfinished building on Ralitu Daramola Street, Abogunleko, Ikotun, while others were still at large.
The convict presented his own defense; the prosecution called three witnesses, through whom several documents were produced.
Olukunle was found guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping by Justice Oyindamola Ogala during her Thursday ruling.
On the other hand, Ogala cleared the prisoner of the defilement allegation.
The court ruled that the prosecution was unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the accusation of defilement since crucial witnesses were not present to testify.
She stated that the court relied on the convict’s confessional statement to find him guilty of conspiracy and abduction.
“The alleged victim did not testify or identify the defendant,” the judge said.
“It is instructive that neither the persons who arrested the defendant, the alleged friend nor the chairman of the estate testified in respect of the charge of defilement linking the defendant with the direct act.
“These witnesses are vital in establishing the guilt of the defendant.
“This Honourable court, therefore, finds that the prosecution failed to satisfy that the defendant indeed defiled the said victim.”
The court also decided that the conviction witness’s testimony, provided by witnesses two and three for the prosecution, adequately supported the confession.
The attempt to separate him from the incident’s occurrences entirely, according to the court, was an afterthought that was unfounded.
The convict’s sentence is set to begin on September 30, 2022, under the judge’s order.
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
