A 45-year-old teacher from Ekiti State, Oluwagbemi Alabi, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping an eight-year-old girl in 1999.
The Ekiti State High Court handed down the sentence on May 21, 2024, following Alabi’s arraignment on August 25, 2023, on one count of rape.
The offence contravenes Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 1978.
The victim, now an adult, testified that Alabi, whom she referred to as “my teacher and neighbour,” committed the crime in her home.
She recounted how Alabi would touch her inappropriately during home lessons and eventually raped her in her sitting room while her mother was away in Lagos.
“He touched my breast each time he came to teach me at home. I did not understand anything about what he was doing until he raped me in our sitting room when my mother travelled to Lagos and left me and my sister at home,” she said.
“He removed my cloth and used it to clean the blood and sperm and threw it away. I later ran to our neighbours weeping, they thought I was missing my mother, but I did not tell them what happened.
“I was afraid anytime I saw him in the class.”
She also described how Alabi cleaned up the evidence and discarded it, leaving her traumatised and afraid of him thereafter.
According to the victim, in 2012, Alabi attempted to reconnect with the her via Facebook, but she ignored his friend request. In 2023, Alabi resumed his harassment, sending disturbing videos and messages that referenced the past incident.
The victim noted that she reported Alabi to law enforcement, when she was unabl to bear the harassment any longer.
“In year 2023 again, he started disturbing me. I reported the matter to the law enforcement agents. I was advised to ignore him.
“Thereafter, he started sending disturbing and annoying videos and messages to me, referring to the past ugly incident. When I could no more bear it, I decided to take a legal action against him,” she told the court.
The prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo presented key evidence, including a confessional statement from Alabi, evidence of their conversations, a petition, and screenshots of their chats. The prosecution also called two witnesses to support the case.
Alabi’s defence, led by lawyer Ademola Adeyemi, however argued on his behalf, but the court found the evidence compelling.
Judge Lekan Ogunmoye ruled that the victim, being a minor at the time, could not have given consent to the sexual act.
“The defendant is hereby sentenced to 15 years imprisonment without option of fine,” declared Judge Ogunmoye, who delivered justice for a crime committed nearly 25 years ago.