Justice Sybil Nwaka of the Ikeja Sexual Offence and Domestic Violence Court in Lagos, on Wednesday, sentenced a bricklayer, Edet Imoh, 40, to five years in prison for allegedly raping a commercial sex worker.
Nwaka, who did not give the convict an option of fine, said the sentence will serve as deterrent to others.
” I find the defendant guilty of the offence of indecent assault, he is sentenced to five years imprisonment which will commence from the date of sentencing.
” l hope by the time you come out, you would have learnt your lessons to stay away from such act and live happily with your family,” she said.
Nwaka also admonished the complainant, Ejiro Umukoro, 25, to desist from prostitution as it is illegal and that the Lagos State Government is on the move to sanitise the state against such act.
“I however chastise the complainant and urge her to be of good behaviour.
“The state is using this opportunity to warn other intending offenders, those in the commercial sex trade and other perpetrators of sex offenders to desist and have a rethink.
“Control yourselves from such offence because Lagos State frowns seriously at such act,” he said.
The convict, who was earlier charged with two counts of rape and theft, pleaded not guilty to the charge
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the trial, the prosecution led by Mrs B.T Boye had alleged that the convict had committed the offence on March 11, 2017 at 1.30a.m. at, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
According to Boye “The convict met the complainant at Farm City Lekki Phase 1, while he was have his lunch.
“We exchanged pleasantries and we agreed to have sex afterwards.
Umokoro told me to pay her N50,000 for having sexual intercourse with her but l begged her to collect N40,000 to which she agreed.
” We later took a cab to Awolowo Road at Ikoyi to use my friend’s house but unfortunately he wasn’t around.
“I told Umukoro to go back but she refused and said l must pay her for bringing her out so we had sex somewhere around.
We laid a wrapper on the floor and had sex after which she demanded for the N40,000 but l told her l had only N9,000 but she refused to collect it from me.
“She refused to collect the N9,000 and tried to hold my shirt but l ran away.
Umukoro, a commercial sex worker in her testimony, however, denied the allegations.
She said:“ the defendant took me to an agreed place but on getting there, the gate man refused to open the gate saying that the madam of the house was around.
I told the defendant to call the cab man that bought us to come back and pick us but he refused.
Suddenly, the defendant attacked me from behind, tried to strangle me by pressing my neck till l fainted.
He then raped me and stole my blackberry passport phone and Nokia phone all valued at N131,000.
On April 6, 2017 l got hold of the defendant at Farm City Lekki Phase 1 and reported him to the police at Maroko Police Station,” Umokoro said.
NAN reports that the convict who brought his belongings to court on the assumption that he will be freed after being on remand since 2017 burst into tears on hearing the judgement passed on him.
The offenc, the prosecution said, contravened the provisions of Section 361 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 (Revised).
