An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced 32-year-old Martins Ifebuchi and 19-year-old John Joseph to 17 years’ imprisonment each for raping a girl, 15.
The two men, who were tried on two counts of conspiracy and rape of the victim on May 8, 2021, in the Ajilosun area of Ado Ekiti, were found guilty as charged.
Justice Adeniyi Familoni, said, “The offence of rape is a heinous crime, an act of utmost inhumanity that is devastatingly damaging. It becomes worse when the victim is a person of tender years, as in this case.
“The defendants deserve such punishment that should serve as a deterrent to others with similar tendencies. Conclusively, I hold that the prosecution has successfully proved the alleged offences of conspiracy and rape against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt as required by law.
“Consequently, the defendants are found guilty of the offences of conspiracy to rape and rape of the 15 year-old-girl on May 8, 2021.
“The defendants are each sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment on the count of conspiracy and 10 years’ imprisonment each on the count of rape without option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently with effect from the date of his judgment.”
In her recorded statement, the victim said, “The first defendant (Martins) and my mother were both tenants in the house. My mother used to travel to buy goods to take care of him and the brother.
“Martins has been using that opportunity to sleep with me. There was blood stain on my mother’s bed the first day he forcibly had sexual intercourse with me and warned me not to tell anybody, saying I would die if I did.
“Thereafter, the second defendant (John) came on holiday to his brother’s house; he also joined him to rape me. When I could not bear it anymore, I explained to my mother, my mother did not raise the alarm.
“She pretended to have travelled as usual; when I was sleeping around 9pm on that day, they (Martins and John) entered our room and were in the process of undressing me when my mother entered and caught them. They were arrested and handed over to the police.”
To prove his case, the prosecution counsel, Kola Kolade, called three witnesses and tendered a medical report, statements of the victim and the defendants, and an attestation form, among others, as exhibits, while counsel for the defendants, Sunday Ochayi, called five witnesses, including the defendants.
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