A Lagos State teacher, John Osifo, 23, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping an eight-year-old pupil.
This verdict was delivered by Justice Ramon Oshodi of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Monday, December 9, 2024.
Osifo was initially arraigned on January 31, 2022, on a one-count charge of defilement, to which he pleaded not guilty.
However, after a thorough investigation and trial, Justice Oshodi found Osifo guilty of the crime.
According to the charge sheet, Osifo committed the offence between May 2020 and June 2021 at two different locations: Vissol Street, Jejelaye, Ajamgbadi, and Marifod Private School, Ajamgbadi, Lagos.
The prosecution counsel, led by Mr. Babajide Boye, presented three witnesses: the survivor, her mother, and a medical doctor. The defence counsel, on the other hand, called eight witnesses.
The survivor gave detailed testimony about multiple incidents of sexual intercourse, which occurred during COVID-19 and home lessons.
She described how Osifo would push her onto a chair, remove her clothes, and have intercourse with her.
The survivor’s mother also testified about her daughter’s torn underwear and her eventual confession. The medical doctor’s findings were consistent with sexual abuse, including whitening discharge, absent hymen, healed bruises, and inflammation in the survivor’s genitalia.
In his judgment, Justice Oshodi stated that the prosecution had proved the case of defilement beyond reasonable doubt. He noted that Osifo’s credibility was totally undermined by his first testimony and pattern of escalating fabrications.
Justice Oshodi then sentenced Osifo to life imprisonment, stating that the ingredients of defilement had been proved beyond doubt. He also ordered that Osifo’s name be registered as a sex offender.
In his words, “You stand convicted of defilement contrary to Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State. This section prescribes life imprisonment for anyone who has sexual intercourse with a child. The gravity of this offence cannot be overstated. As a teacher, you occupy a position of trust which you breached, you exploited not only the vulnerability of an eight-year-old child but also took advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown when you went to her house to take lessons”.
