Man bags 15yrs imprisonment for d£filing his neighbor’s 10-yr-old daughter in Delta
A High Court sitting in Effurun, Delta State, has sentenced one Godspower Ojakovo, 38, to 15 years imprisonment for d£filing his neighbor’s 10-year-old daughter.
The court, presided over by Honourable Justice Michael Nduka Obi, handed him the sentence on Tuesday after finding him guilty of the charges leveled against him.
The defendant was arraigned before the court on a charge of having unlawful carnal knowledge of a child at Effurun, on March 30, 2020, an offence puni§hable under Section 218 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21 Vol. 1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.
The prosecution, led by Mrs. C. O. Onojovwo, a chief state counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Delta State, called three witnesses.
The witnesses informed the court that the defendant, who was a neighbour to the child’s parents at the time of the incident, formed the habit of sleeping with her when her parents were not around.
The prosecution said that Godspower would often give the child N50 and sometimes N100 naira after every act. He also was said to have thr£atened to k#ll the child and her parents, if the child ever reported to them.
The prosecution told the court that a vigilant neighbour, who noticed the defendant’s acts, reported to the child’s parents, who, in turn, reported to the local vigilante.
The state counsel added that a trap was, thereafter, set for the Defendant and was subsequently caught in the act as he was handed over to the police for investigation.
The defendant confessed to the police and made a written confessional statement which was tendered in court. However in his trial, the defendant retracted his confessional statement and denied committing the offence. He said the girl’s parents had issues with him and as such framed him up for the offence.
In his verdict, Justice Obi held that the prosecution proved the case against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge dismissed the denial of the defendant as an afterthought, stating that people like the defendant needed to be kept out of circulation.
