Success Nwankwo
A father with the name Samuel Ademola Oladimeji was found guilty by a Lagos High Court of sexually assaulting his three children and receiving a life sentence.
The defendant’s testimony did not add up since he was merely attempting to separate himself from the claims, according to Justice Abiola Sholadoye of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, who rendered the judgement. However, Sholadoye added that the prosecution’s witnesses’ statements remained unshakeable.
For the Lagos State Government, who brought the lawsuit, five witnesses had provided testimony. Three of the witnesses were the sexually assaulted children of the criminals. Their mother and the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) from the Family Support Unit of the Ilupeju Police Station were the other two.
The mother noticed that the children complained of pain in their private areas, so she first reported the issue to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA). After that, they were sent to the Mirabel Centre for a medical assessment, where it was determined by the medical report that each girl had experienced sexual assault.
The court ruled in its ruling that the prosecution had effectively met its burden of establishing beyond a reasonable doubt that the offence had been committed and that the children had in fact been sexually assaulted by penetration.
The offender received three consecutive life sentences from Judge Soladoye. Additionally, the judge mandated that the convict’s name be added to the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.
While reiterating the state’s zero-tolerance policy for sexual and gender-based violence, the DSVA applauded the survivors’ families for continuing the cause in response to the punishment.
“The wheel of justice is turning, and perpetrators of these heinous crimes would be held accountable for their actions,” the organisation says, emphasising that assistance is available for survivors.