JUDICIARY
Driver Jailed for Life for Defiling Employer’s Granddaughter
An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, on Monday, sentenced a 56-year-old driver, Folarin Raufu, to life imprisonment for defiling his employer’s granddaughter, aged five years.
Justice Abiola Soladoye held that prosecution successfully proved all the ingredients of defilement against Raufu.
Soladoye said that the conduct of the convict was nasty.
According to her, the minor/survivor brilliantly presented the sequence of how the convict defiled her.
She said: “The survivor was lucid and unshaken during her cross-examination, as she spoke eloquently and intelligently detailing the gory incident of how her grandfather’s driver ruthlessly defiled her in their living room and inside her grandfather’s jeep.
“The survivor recognised the defendant as Mr Folarin, who had sexual intercourse with her both in the living room and inside her grandfather’s jeep.
“The grandfather, who was Prosecution Witness Two (PW2), in his testimony, said that his granddaughter whispered in his ears that the defendant defiled her, which necessitated his arrest.”
She described the convict as a liar, who tried to avoid the charge by claiming that he did not understand the English Language but still responded appropriately when the court registrar read out the charge in the English Language.
“The defendant denied having sexual intercourse with the survivor but told the court that he only planted kisses on her cheeks and cuddled her.
“Under cross-examination, he denied making any statement at Ojodu Police Station but the same statement was tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibit B.
“He lied to the court,” she said.
The judge held that evidence of the survivor was corroborated by a medical report from Mirabel Medical Centre as well as testimonies of two other rosecution witnesses.
“The defendant is an ingrate who should be named and shamed as a disloyal, unreliable and untrustworthy employee.
“The court finds you Folarin Raufu guilty of the offence and hereby sentences you to life imprisonment.
“The convict should have his name registered in the sexual offences register as maintained by Lagos State,” the judge said.
NAN reports that Soladoye called on parents and guardians to desist from entrusting their children wards to the care of “good-for-nothing staff” to avoid sexual assault and defilement.
“The need for supervision at all times cannot be over-emphasised in this age and time, where sexual abuse is being perpetrated.
“Furthermore, children should be trained to speak up and report any sexual violations to their parents, teachers or authorities so that they can be properly investigated,” she added.
Lagos State counsel, Ms Abimbola Abolade, presented four witnesses during the trial and tendered two documents in evidence, while the defendant testified as the sole defence witness.
According to Lagos State Government, which prosecuted the case, child defilement violates Section 137 of its Criminal Law of 2015.
The offence attracts life imprisonment.(NAN)
JUDICIARY
Court Shifts Judgment in Suit Seeking Ganduje’s Sack Until Sept. 23
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, shifted the judgment in a suit seeking the removal of Dr Abdullahi Ganduje as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Sept. 23.The matter, which was earlier fixed for today, was not on the cause list.NAN gathered that the parties in the suit had earlier been reached by the court registrar for a new date because the judgement was not ready.
“We have already called the parties on phone to inform them of the development. A new date is next week, September 23,” a reliable source said.Justice Inyang Ekwo had, on July 5, fixed today (Sept. 18) for the judgment.Justice Ekwo fixed the date after counsel to the plaintiff, Benjamin Davou; and lawyers to the defence adopted their processes and made their submission for and against the case.The plaintiff; the North Central APC Forum, led by Saleh Zazzaga, had filed the suit to queried the propriety of Ganduje’s appointment as the Chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central geo-political zone.In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, the plaintiff listed Ganduje, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.The plaintiff wants the court to, among others, restrain Ganduje from further parading himself as the chairman of the APC.It also prays the court to issue an order directing INEC not to accord recognition to all actions taken by the APC, including congresses, primaries and nominations, since Ganduje became APC Chairman on August 3, 2023.The plaintiff is contending among others, that Ganduje is occupying the office of the APC chairman illegally, not being from a state in the North Central geo-political zone.It argued that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC breached the party’s constitution when it appointed Ganduje, from Kano State in the North West geo- political zone to replace Sen. Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa State in the North Central geo-political zone.It also argued that Ganduje’s appointment to replace Abdullahi was contrary to Article 31.5(1) f of the APC constitution and ultra vires the powers of the NEC of the party, among other reliefs.(NAN)JUDICIARY
Poultry Farm Manager Faces N160,000 Fraud Charge
A 30-year-old poultry farm manager, Stephen Nwachi, on Thursday, appeared before an Okitipupa Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ondo State, over alleged N160,000 fraud.The defendant, whose address was not provided, is facing a two-count charge bordering on felony and advance fee fraud.The police prosecutor, ASP Zedekiah Orogbemi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on June 24, at 04.
00 p. m. at a poultry farm opposite Zomelo hotel on Okitipupa-Aye Road in Okitipupa.Orogbemi said that the defendant fraudulently obtained the sum of N160,000 from one Morenike Orukotan, under the pretext of supplying some crates of eggs to her but failed to do so.The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 419 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap.37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.The Chief Magistrate, Mr Philip Akinlosetu, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200,000 with one surety in like sum.He ordered that the surety should reside within the jurisdiction of the court.Akinlosetu also held that the surety should show evidence of two years tax payment to the state government.He adjourned the case until Sept. 17 for further hearing. (NAN)JUDICIARY
Court Remands Man, 44, for Allegedly Defiling 9-year-old Girl
A Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Lagos, on Wednesday remanded a 44-year-old man, Sunday Lukas in custody, for allegedly defiling a nine-year-old girl.The Chief Magistrate, Mr Patrick Adekomaiya, ordered that Lukas be remanded at the Awarjigoh Correctional Centre, Badagry, after he pleaded not guilty to a count charge of assault.
He ordered that the case file be duplicated and sent to the office of the Director for Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice. Adekomaiya, however, adjourned the case until Oct. 28 for ruling on the bail application filed by Lukas and for DPP’s legal advice.Earlier, the police prosecutor, Ayodele Adeosun, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on May 28, at 12.20 p.m., at No. 4, Aribena Site, Ijanikin area of Lagos.He said that Lukas indecently assaulted the nine-year-old girl by inserting his fingers in her private part.The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 135 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. (NAN)