Justice Rahmon Oshsodi of Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, on Tuesday, sentenced a man, Eniola Ibrahim to life imprisonment for raping his girlfriend.
Ibrahim was convicted of having sexual intercourse with his girlfriend without her consent, an offence which contravened the provisions of section 260 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
Oshodi held that the prosecution was able to demonstrate the application of force, intimidation, and threat when the defendant had sexual intercourse with the survivor and proved the necessary ingredients beyond doubt to establish the offence of rape.
He said, “We have critically reviewed all the materials, consisting of the written submissions of counsel already identified and the entire record of proceedings.
“The court has also taken into cognisance remarks made by the defendant that he loves the victim.
”You must not hurt people that you love. The evidence, in this case, demonstrates that you did not just rape the victim but you did it in a ferocious and animalistic way.
“You hit her on the face which made it swollen. She had bloody eyes and swollen lips.
“You pinned her neck to your bed and raped her. A man like you, who has committed sexual violence against a woman, should be ashamed and must be punished.
“Our laws in Lagos State have zero tolerance for sexual crimes and the charge of rape, for which you have been convicted, carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, which sends a signal that it is unacceptable.
“In your case, I do consider the seriousness of the offence to justify a life sentence and that is the sentence I must, therefore, impose upon you.
“Accordingly, I sentence you, Mr Eniola Wasiu Ibrahim to life imprisonment.”
Justice Oshodi further ordered that the convict’s name be registered as a sex offender on Lagos State Sexual Offenders register.
The prosecution, Ms Inumidun said the convict committed the offence on June 6, 2012, at his residence on Lateef Dosumu Street in Lagos.
The survivor in her testimony told the court that the convict invited her to his house and raped her after pinning her neck to his bed on a Sunday afternoon.
Credit: NAN
