Man jailed life for alleged rape

An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced a 35-year-old man, Tope Odeyemi, to life imprisonment after being found guilty of the offence of rape.

Odeyemi, who is married with two children, raped a 27-year-old woman (name withheld) which led to a grievous bodily harm on the victim. The sexual assault landed the victim in the hospital.

The prosecution led by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Owoseni Ajayi, told the court that the offence was committed in Iyin-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state on September 4, 2014.

Ajayi explained that the offence contravenes Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap C 16 Laws of Ekiti State 2012.

He urged the court to convict the accused on the strength of the evidence tendered before the court

In the course of the trial, the prosecution called five witnesses to prove the case of rape against the convict while defence counsel, Taiwo Adeloye, called two witnesses to defend him.

Odeyemi in his defence claimed that the victim was his girlfriend. He alleged that the victim lied against him because he refused to buy her a Blackberry phone

Counsel to the accused prayed the court to discountenance all evidence of the prosecution describing them as “feeble and porous.”

But the trial judge, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, in his judgment said the prosecution has proved the case of rape against Odeyemi beyond every reasonable doubt.

He held that based on the confessional statement of the accused and the other corroborative evidence of the prosecution reinforced the conviction, found them guilty as charged.

The judge expressed concern that the act of rape and defilement is rampant in the state.

Ogunmoye said: “I have carefully considered the evidence of the witnesses for the prosecution and that of the accused persons.

“I found the evidence of the prosecution credible and reliable.”

Justice Ogunmoye hereby sentenced the accused person to life imprisonment.

Odeyemi betrayed emotion after his conviction and waved emotionally to his wife and kids who were present in the courtroom as he was led to the prison vehicle waiting for him.