An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Lagos on Thursday sentenced a 51-year-old man, Ubregbo Parmer, to life imprisonment for defiling his colleague’s nine-year-old daughter.
Judge Abiola Soladoye punished the culprit after finding him guilty of the crime of defilement.
The court concluded that the prosecution sufficiently established the claim of defilement against the defendant.
Judge Soladoye noted that the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, the victim and a medical practitioner revealed that the prisoner committed the crime.
The court decided, “The evidence of the individual prosecution witnesses demonstrated the components of the crime against the defendant who was properly identified by the victim.
“The victim offered a lengthy and brutal narrative of her anguish at the hands of the defendant.
“I hereby find him guilty as accused of the one-count accusation of defilement and he is thus sentenced to life imprisonment.
“The defendant should have his name listed in the sexual offence registry as maintained by Lagos State.”
The judge berated the victim’s mother for being irresponsible in her care and allowing her kid to be whisked away by her male colleague, without supervision.
“The importance of right and excellent parenthood cannot be emphasized in this era and period when defilement and rape are the norms of the day.
“Parents should be sensitive to their responsibilities,” Judge Soladoye noted.
The state counsel, Ms Olufunke Adegoke, summoned two witnesses and offered two exhibits throughout the trial while the defendant testified as the only witness in his defence.
Adegoke said the victim’s mother brought her daughter to the job and left her to attend to other matters when the prisoner swiftly removed her pants and had sexual intercourse with her.
She claimed the prisoner committed the offence on December 10, 2019, in Magodo, Lagos.
According to her, the crime contravenes the provisions of Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
