Man sentenced to life imprisonment over alleged rape of 3-year-old girl in Lagos

A Nigerian man, Kehinde Gabriel has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Lagos Sexual Offences & Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja over the alleged rape of a 3-year-old girl.

The court found him guilty of the one-count charge of defilement, and Justice Ramon A. Oshodi handed down the maximum punishment, stating that Gabriel showed no remorse for his actions.

The case, with ID/8392C/2018, was brought before the court, and the prosecution successfully established the essential ingredients of the offense, leading to Gabriel’s conviction.

The judge deemed the act as unjustifiable, and in violation of Section 137 of the Criminal Law 2015.

In his remarks, Justice Oshodi described Gabriel as a person of no truth who displayed no remorse for his heinous crime.

The judge pronounced the life imprisonment sentence as the appropriate punishment for the offense committed.

Furthermore, the judge ordered that Gabriel’s name be registered in the Sexual Offenders Register maintained by the Lagos State Government.

This is in line with the state’s efforts to keep a record of sexual offenders and prevent repeat offenses.

In response to the judgment, the Domestic & Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) reiterated the zero tolerance stance of the Lagos State Government towards such offenses

“There is help for survivors even as we remain committed to ensuring perpetrators are held accountable for their actions,” it said on Tuesday.

The agency charged citizens to continuously break the culture of silence and report any case of domestic or sexual violence via its toll-free line.