An officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Olukayode Dayo, on Tuesday, was sentenced to life imprisonment by an Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, for raping a minor.
According to The PUNCH, the 39-year-old officer faced charges of rape when he was arraigned on May 13, 2022.
The charge read, “That Olukayode Dayo on December 25, 2021 at Ado Ekiti did rape a 13 years old girl. The offence is contrary to Section 31(2) of the Child’s Rights Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.”
In her statement to the police, the victim, who resided with her grandmother, recounted, “I was sent home to fetch banana and kolanut. Along the way, a man named OluKay (the defendant) passed me on his motorcycle and accidentally dropped the banana and kolanut on my head.
“He dragged me to a fenced uncompleted building. He did not bother despite my cries. He removed my pants and started having sex with me. It was when a passerby who heard my voice came there that OluKay took to his heels. The man attempted to chase him, but he escaped. The man later took me to my grandmother.”
The prosecutor, Mr. Julius Ajibare, presented six witnesses and submitted the defendant’s statement, photographs of the victim, and a medical report as exhibits.
In his defense, the defendant, represented by counsel Oluwaseun Oyebanji, spoke and opted not to call any witnesses. He denied committing the offense but appealed to the court for leniency.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Lekan Olatawura said, “In this event, the victim consistently, unequivocally and unshakenly stated that the defendant, who was well known to her, was the person who raped her”.
The judge, affirming that the prosecutor had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant raped the minor on December 25, 2021, declared, “In conclusion, I find him guilty as charged. Accordingly, the defendant is sentenced to life imprisonment.”
