On Monday, July 1, 2024, the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court handed down a life imprisonment sentence to Sunday Uche, a 21-year-old groundnut vendor, for defiling a four-year-old girl.
Justice Ramon Oshodi ruled that the prosecution presented overwhelming evidence, proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime of defilement. The judge condemned the defendant’s actions as reprehensible and deserving of the severest punishment allowed by law.
On February 1, 2017, Uche was taken into custody to face a charge of defilement by penetration, brought by the state. He entered a plea of not guilty to the allegation.
As stated by the prosecution counsel, I.D. Solarin, Uche’s actions violated Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State. The court was informed that the incident took place on February 2, 2017, at the convict’s residence, where the defendant committed the offence.
The minor had gone to Uche’s home to beg for groundnuts, but instead, the groundnut trader defiled her in his residence, committing a heinous crime.
