In a ruling delivered on Monday, January 22, at the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, a man identified as Ademola Oladimeji received a severe sentence of four life imprisonments for sexually assaulting his three children, aged five, seven, and nine.
Presiding over the case, Justice Abiola Soladoye expressed confidence in the credibility and truthfulness of the evidence presented by the prosecution witnesses. Emphasizing that the offense committed was sexual assault by penetration rather than defilement, the judge noted that the testimonies of the three survivors were substantiated by both the investigative police officer and their mother.
Upon scrutinizing the evidence, Justice Soladoye observed that the children did not allege that their father inserted his penis into their ‘bum bum’ but disclosed that he touched them inappropriately using his fingers. The judge commended the unwavering testimonies of the children, stating that they consistently detailed how their father violated their innocence by inserting his fingers into their vaginas on multiple occasions. The defendant, in an attempt to distance himself from the allegations, vehemently denied the offenses.
The judge, however, expressed disbelief in the defendant’s account, describing it as inconsistent and indicative of his desperation to evade the charges. According to Justice Soladoye, the court found substantial evidence pointing to the defendant’s interference with the purity of his three children, considering both oral and documentary submissions.
Characterizing the defendant’s conduct as despicable, morally corrupt, incestuous, and against the order of nature, Justice Soladoye acknowledged that the prosecution fell short of proving the three-count charge related to defilement. Consequently, the charges were modified to sexual assault by penetration, leading to the defendant’s conviction on each count.
In addition to the life imprisonment sentences, Justice Soladoye ruled that the sentences would run concurrently. Furthermore, she directed that the name of the convict be registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register as part of the consequences for his reprehensible actions.
END.