37-yr-old man jailed for life for raping 13-yr-old girl
An Ekiti State High Court on Friday sentenced a 37-year-old man, Samuel Adebamigbe, to life imprisonment for raping a 13-year-old girl.
Delivering judgment, the trial judge, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond every doubt and was able to convince the court that the suspect did commit the crime.
“The defendant willingly had sexual intercourse with the victim.
The prosecution has, therefore, proved its case beyond reasonable doubt with the implication that the sole issue for determination is resolved in favour of the prosecution.
“The defendant is hereby convicted as charged.
“He is sentenced to life imprisonment,” Justice Ogunmoye declared.
Earlier during the trial, the prosecution had alleged that Adebamigbe had abducted the victim while running an errand for her mother and forcefully had unlawful carnal knowledge of her.
“That you, Samuel Adebamigbe, on November 3, 2020, at Ado Ekiti, within the jurisdiction of the court, did rape a 13-year-old girl, contrary to Section 31(2) of the Child’s Right Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012,” police prosecutor, Kunle Adeyemo had alleged in the charge.
The teenage victim on her part had claimed that she was sent by her mother to deliver a loaf of bread to the defendant on request.
She said when she got to his residence, Adebamigbe told her that he wanted to buy pepper soup around the Ajilosun area of Ado Ekiti.
“He asked me to sit in a room till when the pepper soup would be ready. When he came back, he locked the door and had sexual intercourse with me twice.
“I shouted for help but there was nobody to rescue me. He later gave me N1,500 and warned me not to tell anybody,” the victim said.
The girl said when she got back home, she narrated her ordeal to her mother who reported the case to the police, leading to the arrest and arraignment of the convict.
The prosecutor called five witnesses and tendered the statement of the victim, her birth certificate, a medical report, among others, as exhibits, while Adebamigbe called three witnesses.
