A 17-year-old boy, Jibola Fakologbon, who was found guilty of r3ping and assaulting a student of Ero College of Education has been handed a 14-year jail term.
Fakologbon, who was arraigned on two count charges bordering on assault and r3pe, committed the offence at Ero via Igbara-Oke, by touching the victim’s br3ast and having unlawful s3xual intercourse without her consent.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During the trial, the prosecution led by D. G Kayode called three witnesses and tendered six exhibits but the convict testified as a sole witness.
The victim had narrated to the court that the convict accosted her and demanded money from her for food, but she refused to give him.
“I did not know the boy. He waylaid me on my way to my house and asked for N100.
l refused to give him and immediately he tried to forcefully touch my br3ast. While struggling with him, he hit me with a stick on the head and I was unconscious.
“He carried me with my bag to an uncompleted building, tore my underwear, and had s3xual intercourse with me.”
Delivering judgment, Justice Yemi Fasanmi, held that the prosecution proved its case of indecent assault and r3pe against the convict beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Fasanmi stated that the victim’s testimony that the convict assaulted and had s3xual intercourse with her was corroborated by medical reports and another exhibit before the court.
The judge said: “There is ample evidence before the court that the defendant forcefully touched the victim’s br3ast and that she was s3xually p3netrated by the convict.
“The evidence is believable, unassailable, and credible that the victim tried to resist the convict rigorously.”
He said the convict confessed to having touched, physically assaulted, and tore the underwear of the victim.
“It is considered an abomination and not accepted in any community in Nigeria for a man to forcefully touch the br3ast of a woman.
“The fact that the convict confirmed that he refused to rape the victim when he noticed the wound on her belly and exhibit 6 (medical report) which shows that the vulva of the victim in examination sustained injury, copiously corroborated that the victim was r3ped. The court found Fakologbon guilty of both crimes,” the judge held
Fasanmi sentenced the convict to two years imprisonment for the offence of indecent assault and 12 years imprisonment for the offence of r3pe respectively.
“A total of 14 years imprisonment shall commence from the convict’s first day in custody. The sentences shall run concurrently.”
