A Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced a school teacher, Nwatu Isaac, to life imprisonment for defiling an eight-year-old pupil of El-Bossaa Nursery and Primary School, Epe.
Justice Rahman Oshodi handed down the sentence on Tuesday after finding Isaac guilty of unlawfully having sexual intercourse with the child on March 10, 2022.
The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency disclosed the development in a statement on Friday, saying the court also ordered that Isaac’s name be entered in the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register.
According to the agency, the order was made pursuant to Sections 33 and 38 of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law, 2021.
The prosecution established beyond reasonable doubt that the survivor was a child and that Isaac had sexual intercourse with her.
The survivor, who was nine years old when she testified, identified the convict in court and narrated how he, whom she knew as “Master Isaac,” allegedly took her into the school toilet and sexually assaulted her.
Justice Oshodi reportedly found the child’s testimony credible and consistent.
Her account was also supported by evidence from her mother, who observed blood on the child’s underwear and around her vagina after she returned from school.
Medical evidence presented by the Mirabel Centre further corroborated the prosecution’s case, with the agency stating that the medical findings supported evidence of penetration.
Isaac had denied the allegation and claimed that he did not go beyond the school gate on the day of the incident.
However, the court rejected the defence, noting that the convict’s own testimony placed him at the school at the material time.
Justice Oshodi also dismissed his alibi defence and rejected suggestions that the child might have been abused by her stepsister.
The court equally dismissed the argument that the school toilet was too small for the offence to have occurred.
While sentencing Isaac, the judge said he had abused the trust placed in him by the survivor and her family.
The agency quoted the judge as noting that Isaac was the child’s teacher and had also been entrusted by parents in the community to transport their children.
Beyond the custodial sentence, Justice Oshodi directed the prosecution to take immediate steps under the Victim Assistance and Witness Protection Law, 2022, to ensure that the survivor and her family receive whatever protection and support they require.
Isaac was prosecuted under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, which prescribes life imprisonment for unlawful sexual intercourse with a child.
The case underscores the legal consequences for sexual offences against children in Lagos State, particularly where the offender occupies a position of trust or authority over the child.
If you want, I can also give you �five much stronger PLATFORM TIMES-style headlines with two riders each, including �an investigative/child-protection angle.
[02/10, 19:27] Daud Olatunji: Here is a stronger PLATFORM TIMES version, retaining careful legal attribution and avoiding any suggestion that the defendants have been convicted:
Lagos Court Denies KC Luxury, Two Others Bail Over Alleged 184.5kg Cocaine Shipment
Lagos Court Denies KC Luxury, Two Others Bail Over Alleged 184.5kg Cocaine Shipment
Court cites gravity of charges, possible punishment, alleged flight risk as NDLEA prosecutes 21-count case
A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, has denied bail to businessman Afolabi Michael Kazeem, popularly known as KC Luxury, and two other defendants standing trial over alleged cocaine trafficking and related offences.
Justice Musa Kakaki rejected the defendants’ bail applications after considering the seriousness of the allegations, the potential punishment upon conviction and the possibility that the accused persons could evade trial if released.
The court also observed that the prevalence of illicit drug trafficking had become a serious menace to society.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had arraigned Kazeem, Boniface Sule and Ikechukwu Ekugo on a multi-count charge bordering on alleged cocaine trafficking and other offences.
Kazeem is the principal defendant in the case and is named in 21 of the 22 counts, while Sule and Ekugo are also facing charges arising from the investigation.
All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
The case followed Kazeem’s arrest on August 13 at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, where the NDLEA said he was apprehended while allegedly attempting to travel to Paris, France.
The arrest reportedly followed the seizure of 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine at a DHL facility in Ikeja, Lagos.
According to the prosecution’s allegations, the seized consignment was linked to Kazeem, who allegedly conspired with two other persons, Atandare Oladipupo Oluwarotimi and Latifat Yusuf, to export the narcotic substance.
The two individuals were reportedly arrested in London in connection with the wider investigation.
The prosecution also alleged that the shipment was connected to the use of the pseudonym Yemi Ejide, which it said was used in relation to the consignment attributed to Kazeem.
While opposing the bail applications, the prosecution relied on the seriousness of the allegations and other circumstances of the case.
The court, after considering the applications and the circumstances surrounding the charges, declined to release the defendants on bail.
The development means that the three defendants will remain in custody as the prosecution continues with the case.
The matter has been adjourned until November 2 to November 5, 2026, when further proceedings are expected to take place daily.
The defendants remain presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by the court.
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