An Osun High Court sitting in llesha has sentenced a septuagenarian, Chief Moses Adeniyi, to seven years imprisonment for having a carnal knowledge of two minors.
Adeniyi, a Chief in Ilesha, with the
chieftaincy title, Loja Araromi Otokobo, was accused of raping two girls
who were 13 and 14 years, respectively in his hotel in the
town. Adeniyi, who was first arraigned on March 28, 2011, pleaded not
guilty to the charge.
The Judge, Justice Kudirat Akano,
in her judgment, said the prosecuting counsel had proved his case
beyond reasonable doubt. Akano said the convict was guilty of the charge
and consequently sentenced him to seven years imprisonment.
The Prosecutor, Tijani Adekilekun, said the offence of rape contravened Sections 358 and 360 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 vol.11 Laws of Osun State.
Adekilekun said that the convict raped the minors in his hotel in Ilesa in May 2010 after picking them on their way from school.
“The minor accepted the offer because
one of the girls’ parents was once a neigbhour to the convict. But
instead of the convict dropping the girls at their homes, he took them
to his hotel, Prince Way Hotel, Ilesha. He ushered the girls into one of
the rooms in the hotel and told them not to shout, warning them that if
they do, they will die.
The convict thereafter raped the minors in
turns after which he wiped their vagina with a white handkerchief and
warned them not to tell anyone otherwise they will die,” Adekilekun told
the court.
He further told the court that the
secret became opened when one of the girls’ mothers was informed by
another student that a man gave the two girls a ride on their way home
from school the previous day. Adekilekun said the woman then went to the
school to inquire from the teachers.
“The girls were afraid to reveal the
identity of their rapist because they were told they will die if they
told anyone. It was after much assurance that the girls will not die
before they narrated the whole story to their parents.”
The defence counsel, Sokoya Ayodeji, said he would appeal against the judgment.
