By G9ija
Kazeem Adedayo, a man who sexually assaulted an eleven-year-old child, has been given a life sentence by Justice A. Soladoye of the Special Offenses Court in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The defendant was the subject of two exhibits and three prosecution witnesses who testified against him in court.
The victim (name withheld), who was the second prosecution witness, described the incident in detail, claiming that the defendant, whom she identified as Daddy Jamal, stuck his finger in her private area, causing her excruciating pain and causing her to sob.
She claimed that her mother had instructed her and her brother to go get water at some point in January 2018. She spilled part of the water while getting it on her body. Adedayo, their neighbor, approached her as she was attempting to clean up her body and inquired as to what had happened to her chest. She responded that she had been hurt while going to get water.
She claims that after asking her if she had taken care of her private area, Adedayo now put his finger inside it. She declined his request to accompany her into his room after that.
Justice Soladoye said, “During cross-examination, the victim was truthful, unambiguous and maintained that the defendant inserted his finger in her vagina despite the fact that she struggled with him.”
a medical doctor who works with Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, simply identified as Dr Alabi, recalled that he medically examined the victim after receiving a referral letter from the Divisional Police Officer of Akinpelu Police Station, Oshodi, Lagos.
According to him, he noticed that the victim’s private part was reddened and bruised, adding that her hymen was almost obliterated. He said his findings concluded that the victim had suffered repeated penetration, adding that the victim could not have consented to any sexual act with the defendant.
While reading her judgement, Justice Soladoye said the evidence presented by the doctor was truthful, consistent and quite persuasive with no reexamination questions from the defense counsel.
The third prosecuting witness, Investigating Police Officer, Adebayo Eko, who served at Akinpelu Police Station in 2018, told the court that he obtained statements from the victim and the defendant, which were tabled as Exhibit A and B before the court.
While reading her judgement, Justice Soladoye said the defendant “denied assaulting the victim, that he met the victim and other kids playing in a manner that he considered rough. He cautioned them before going into his room with a friend and gave them some of the toys his own children play with. According to him, he was still in his room till evening and only went outside for a party when he noticed that the victim and her siblings were no longer outside.”
She stated that the evidence given by the defendant was only an afterthought to distance himself from being held accountable for his crime. She then rubbished the evidence given by the defendant’s sister whom she described as a tainted witness, saying she served a purpose which was to redeem the image of her brother.
“The defendant having been found guilty as charged for the offense of sexual assault by penetration contrary to Section 261 of the criminal law volume 3 laws of Lagos State 2015, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment,” the judge said.
