‘Irresponsible adult’ — court jails electrician for life for raping 12-year-old girl in Lagos

The sexual offences and domestic violence court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, has sentenced Sunday George, a 26-year-old electrician, to life imprisonment for raping his neighbour’s 12-year-old daughter.

George was charged to court for committing the crime in his room and bathroom at their residence in Lagos.

Abiola Soladoye, the trial judge, on Thursday, convicted and sentenced the defendant, saying the prosecution team sufficiently proved the charge of the defendant against George.

In her ruling, Soladoye said the testimony of the survivor of the rape incident was “chilling, cogent, convincing and truthful”.

The trial judge said the defendant is an “irresponsible adult and a pathological liar” whose testimony was an afterthought and lacked credibility.

“The defendant defiled her by having sex with her in the bathroom and told her not to tell anyone. He had sex with her on several occasions in the bathroom and anytime she goes to watch movie on the defendant’s phone in his room,” the judge said.

“Identifications in criminal cases are very germane. The survivor, in this case, identified the man in the dock as their neighbour who defiled her severally in the bathroom and his room.

“The defendant denied rubbing the survivor’s breast and watching movies with her on his phone in his room, this is an attempt to lie his way out but he failed.

“The defendant is an irresponsible adult and a shameless paedophile, whose denial of having any sexual relations with the survivor is an afterthought.

“Upon careful review of the evidence before this court, the defendant is hereby found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.”

The judge directed the Lagos government to write George’s name in the sexual offenders register.