Ekiti Landlord Bags Life Sentence for Raping Nine-Year-Old

An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti division, has sentenced a 62-year-old man, Daudu Jimoh, to life imprisonment for raping a nine-year-old girl.

He committed the offence in 2019 following which he was arrested and arraigned before the court on one count of rape.

The charge read, “That you, Daudu Jimoh, on September 27, 2019, at Ilupeju Ekiti, within the jurisdiction of this court, did rape a nine-year-old girl, contrary to Section 31(2) of the Child’s Rights Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.”

The victim, in her evidence before the court, said, “Baba Cooler (the defendant) was our landlord; he had had sex with me four times before my sister caught us on that day. He had warned me not to tell anybody or else I would die.

“In the afternoon of that day, he called me to his room. He asked me to sleep on the chair; he removed my pants and put his private parts in my bumbum. He was doing it when my sister caught us. My sister explained all what happened to my mother.”

The prosecutor, Julius Ajibare, called four witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statements and a medical report as exhibits.

The defendant, who spoke in his own defence through his counsel, confessed to have committed the offence but denied penetrating the victim’s private parts.

In his judgment, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye said, “The confessional statements of the defendant, both written and oral, showed without equivocation that the defendant indeed committed the offence.

“In all, the prosecution had proved his case beyond reasonable doubt against the defendant. The sole issue for determination is resolved in favour of the prosecution. He is convicted as charged. He is sentenced to life imprisonment.”