An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced a 49-year-old man, Dele Adeyanju, to four years imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl.

The convict was charged to court in September 2019 on a count of raping the minor.

According to the charge, the defendant, “on 14th January, 2019 at Omuo Ekiti, in Ekiti East Local Government area of Ekiti State, did rape an 11 years old girl. The offence contravened Section 31 of the Child’s Right Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State of Nigeria, 2012”.

In her statement to the police, the victim, then a Junior Secondary School One student, said, “I came back from school that day. After eating, I went out to hawk garri as I used to do after school hours.

She said, “On the other street, a man called me and bought N100 garri. As I bent down to carry my garri container, he held me from behind and covered my mouth with his hand. I struggled with him but he overpowered me, carried me to his room and removed my pant forcibly. I was shouting and crying.

“He used towel to cover my mouth and forcibly had sex with me.

“Thereafter, I started bleeding seriously, when I got home, I did not tell my parents because I was afraid of what they would do to me, but when I could not bear the pain, I explained to my mother.

“My mother took me to the police station in Omuo Ekiti to report the case. I was later taken to hospital for medical treatment and attention.”

To prove his case, the prosecutor, Akinola Abon, called four witnesses and tendered statements of the defendant and a medical report as exhibits, while the defendant spoke through his counsel Femi Ariyo and called no witnesses.

In the court judgment, Justice Bamidele Omotoso said, “I resolved the sole issue in favour of the prosecution and against the defendant. I hold that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt the allegation of rape against the defendant. The defendant is accordingly convicted as charged.

“Consequently, the defendant is hereby sentenced to four years imprisonment, without an option of fine. The term of imprisonment shall begin to run from 17th of March, 2021 when his bail was revoked by this honourable court and was ordered to be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Ado Ekiti.”