‘It is Daddy’ — Court Hands Life Sentence to 50-Year-Old Man for Defiling Wife’s 6-Year-Old Niece

By Our Court Correspondent

LAGOS — The Special Offences Division of the Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja, has delivered a decisive blow against sexual violence, sentencing a 50-year-old artisan, Olumuyiwa Adjoto, to life imprisonment for the aggravated defilement of his wife’s six-year-old niece.

Justice Rahman Oshodi delivered the judgment after finding Adjoto guilty on a two-count charge of defilement and sexual assault by penetration, contrary to Sections 137 and 261 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015.

During the trial, the prosecution, led by Babajide Boye, revealed harrowing details of the incident which occurred on April 22, 2022, in the Mowo area of Badagry.

The court heard testimonies from four witnesses, including the convict’s wife, Olayemi Hunsa. She testified that the survivor—her younger sister’s granddaughter—had been entrusted to their care during the Easter holidays.

On the day of the incident, Mrs. Hunsa left the child at home with her husband at 5:00 a.m. to go to the Idumota market. Upon her return in the evening, she noticed the usually cheerful child was moody and withdrawn.

The horrifying discovery was made after dinner when the child cried out in pain.

“As they sat down for fresh air, Olayemi placed the girl on her lap, but the child shouted and jumped down, crying, ‘My bum bum.’ When asked what happened, the child revealed, ‘It is daddy’,” the court heard.

The child recounted that while she was writing, Adjoto pushed her onto the bed, silenced her cries with a slap, and assaulted her.

Mrs. Hunsa told the court she examined the child immediately with a torchlight and discovered injuries consistent with penetration. A subsequent medical examination by Dr. Olubukola Elizabeth Olatunji at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital confirmed the defilement.

In his defence, Adjoto denied the charges, claiming an alibi. He insisted he was at his workplace in Agbara and later at his first wife’s home in Igborosun. He further alleged that the accusation was a fabrication stemming from marital discord with Mrs. Hunsa.

However, Justice Oshodi dismissed the defense, noting that the evidence against him was overwhelming.

Delivering the sentence, Justice Oshodi condemned the convict for inflicting “immense physical and psychological trauma” on an innocent child entrusted to his protection.

Citing the medical expert’s testimony, the Judge noted the long-term devastation awaiting the survivor, including trust issues, depression, and potential difficulty in future relationships.

“You have inflicted upon this innocent child wounds that may never fully heal. These sentences reflect society’s condemnation of such heinous acts against children,” Justice Oshodi declared.

Consequently, the court sentenced Adjoto to life imprisonment for defilement and life imprisonment for sexual assault by penetration, with both terms to run concurrently.

In a final move to ensure accountability, Justice Oshodi invoked Sections 33 and 38 of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law 2021.

“I order that your name be entered into the Sex Offenders Register maintained by the Lagos State Government,” the Judge ruled.

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