A Lagos High Court has handed down a life imprisonment sentence to Samuel Ademola Oladimeji for sexually assaulting his three children by penetration.
Justice Abiola Sholadoye of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, who delivered the verdict, emphasized that the prosecution witnesses’ accounts remained unshaken. She also noted that the defendant’s testimony was unconvincing, as it seemed he was attempting to distance himself from the allegations.
During the trial, five witnesses testified for the Lagos State Government, including the abused children, their mother, and the Investigating Police Officer from the Ilupeju Police Station, Family Support Unit.
The case was initially reported to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) after the mother noticed her children complaining about pain in their private parts. Subsequently, the children underwent medical evaluation at the Mirabel Centre, which confirmed that they had been sexually assaulted.
The court found that the children had indeed suffered sexual assault through penetration, and the prosecution had effectively proven the offense beyond a reasonable doubt.
Consequently, Justice Soladoye sentenced the perpetrator to three concurrent life imprisonment sentence and ordered his name to be entered into the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.
In response to the sentence, the DSVA commended the survivors’ family for their perseverance and reiterated the state’s unwavering stance against Sexual and Gender Based Violence. The agency also reassured survivors that there is support available and emphasized that perpetrators of such crimes will be held accountable for their actions.
