Rape: Court sentences man to life imprisonment

An FCT High Court in Kubwa, on Wednesday sentenced a 56-year old man, Olorundare Adesanmi, to life imprisonment for raping his 17-year old housemaid.

The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), had reported the matter for prosecution.

The prosecution counsel, Mr Arinze Mbanefo, had told the court that Adesanmi intentionally penetrated the vaginal of his 17-year old housemaid in November, 2018.

Mbanefo said that the housemaid had become pregnant, adding that the offence contravened the provisions of section 1(2) of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015.

Justice Asmau Akanbi-Yusuf, who found Adesanmi guilty of the charge, held that evidence before the court proved that the victim was underaged at the time of the commission of the crime on Nov. 15, 2018.

Akanbi-Yusuf noted that it was immaterial whether there was consent or not as the defence counsel, Peter Dajang, tried to establish.

The judge, therefore, found him guilty of rape and accordingly convicted him.

The defence counsel, however, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, saying the convict was a first time offender.