According to Punch, the Ikeja Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Court on Monday sentenced 27-year-old cleaner Saviour Udoh to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl at a church in Lagos.
It was reported that Justice Ramon Oshodi ruled that the prosecution had proven the charge of defilement beyond reasonable doubt, describing Udoh's actions as heinous and warranting the maximum penalty under the law.
Furthermore, Udoh was charged on February 5, 2020, with sexual assault by penetration, a violation of Section 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. He pleaded not guilty.
It was added. Prosecutor I.D. Solarin detailed that the assault occurred on December 12, 2018, at a prominent Pentecostal church in Ikeja. Udoh, employed as a cleaner at the church, sexually assaulted the child while she slept in the children’s department.
It was also reported that the victim’s mother reported the incident, leading to Udoh’s arrest. During the trial, the court examined the evidence, including a confessional statement, testimonies from the victim and her mother, the investigating police officer, and medical reports.
Just as it was reported, Justice Oshodi emphasized the severity of the crime, noting the ongoing trauma faced by the victim. "The court has carefully considered the evidence presented, including the long-lasting physical and emotional trauma inflicted upon the child," he said. The victim's mother testified that the child continued to require medical care three years after the incident.
Furthermore, the victim, only five years old at the time, trusted you, and her mother entrusted her to your care. You breached that trust in the most reprehensible way, Justice Oshodi stated. "Sexual assault by penetration is a serious offense that mandates a life sentence under Section 261 of the Criminal Law."
It was stated While acknowledging Udoh's lack of prior convictions and his plea for leniency, the judge concluded that the aggravating factors far outweighed any mitigating circumstances.
Furthermore, Udoh was convicted of sexual assault by penetration and sentenced to life imprisonment. His name will be added to the Lagos State Sexual Offenses Register. "You will serve this sentence in the maximum security custodial center or wherever the Nigerian Correctional Service directs," Justice Oshodi declared.