Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja yesterday convicted and sentenced a 32-year-old student, Essien Aniedi-Bassey, to 21 years imprisonment for attempting to assault a 10-year-old girl sexually.

Justice Soladoye jailed Aniedi-Bassey after he pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of attempted sexual assault by penetration and indecent treatment of a child.

The state counsel, Ms Abimbola Abolade, had told the judge that the convict indecently treated the survivor by touching her breasts. This offence violated sections 135 and 262 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State (2015).

Abolade further informed the court that the convict committed the offence sometime in August 2017 at Araromi Valley Estate in Ojodu, Lagos.

During the trial, the prosecutor presented two witnesses, the survivor and an Investigative Police Officer (IPO), before the convict opted for a plea bargain agreement.

In a related development, Justice Soladoye also yesterday discharged and acquitted a 46-year-old security guard, Victor Godwin, accused of defiling a 14-year-old girl.

The judge freed the defendant after holding that the prosecution failed to prove the three legs of defilement against Godwin.

Justice Soladoye held that the court was unable to determine the age of the alleged survivor as she was not in court to give evidence.

She held, “The investigative police officer (IPO) in this case was the only soul that testified, and she cannot cry more than the bereaved.

“What is important in this case is the evidence adduced and the evidence of the IPO as far as this court is concerned, is of no moment as the victim, who should have been here physically to tell her story and speak up, was not presented before this court.’’