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“Idowu Ismail Gbolahan, male, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment, this is the sentence of this honourable court.”
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For defiling his 7-year-old niece, a 29-year-old vulcanizer was, on Monday, sentenced to life imprisonment at an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court.

Justice Abiola Soladoye sentenced the convicted paedophile, Idowu Gbolahan of No. 44, Sanusi St., Shomolu Lagos after he pleaded guilty when he was arraigned on a charge of defilement of a child.

While sentencing Gbolahan, the judge noted that the government of Lagos State was making efforts to rid the streets of paedophiles, and the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others.

She said, “The defendant was arraigned today in court and he pleaded guilty to the one-count charge of defilement of a child contrary to Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015.

“The defendant, upon arraignment, admitted to defiling the victim who is a seven-year-old child.

“I have listened carefully to the allocutus of his defence counsel, Mr Kelechi Obi. The offence in question is a strict liability offence.

“An offence against a child is a violation of her chastity and I cannot imagine the emotional and physical scars she will endure for the rest of her life.

“Idowu Ismail Gbolahan, male, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment, this is the sentence of this honourable court.”

Earlier before the sentence, Mrs Fehinti Ogbemudia, the lead state prosecutor said the defendant defiled the complainant, who was visiting her grandmother on Aug. 11, 2018.

“My Lord, the victim on this fateful day went to her grandmother’s room to drink some water and was suddenly carried by the defendant into a room where he shut the door on her.

“It is further alleged that he removed her pants and had sexual intercourse with her.

“My Lord, the victim’s screams attracted a neighbour who came to the victim’s rescue.

“My Lord, the defendant made a confessional statement and the victim was then referred to the Mirabel Center of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for medical examination to corroborate her statement,” Ogbemudia said.