The Ekiti State Government has publicly identified and shamed Sule Adeola, a 72-year-old man currently serving a life sentence at the Nigeria Correctional Centre in Ado Ekiti, for raping a 10-year-old girl.
Adeola was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Ekiti State High Court on October 2, 2024, after being charged with rape on June 22, 2023. The charge stated that Adeola raped the minor at the Federal Housing Estate in Ado Ekiti, violating Section 31(1) of the Child’s Right Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
During the trial, the 10-year-old victim testified that Adeola, her grandmother’s neighbor, had sexually assaulted her between 2021 and 2023. Initially, she did not report the incident due to Adeola’s threats on her life. Prosecutor Julius Ajibare presented four witnesses and submitted the defendant’s statement and medical report as evidence. Adeola’s counsel, Adefolaju Ayobioloja, represented him and called three witnesses.
Justice Blessing Ajileye delivered the verdict, stating, “It is unfortunate and saddening that recorded cases of intimate person’s sexual assault hit new highs every day.” After reviewing the evidence, Ajileye concluded, “The defendant penetrated the vagina of the victim, and I so hold.” Adeola was found guilty of raping the 10-year-old girl and sentenced to life imprisonment.
