On Monday, the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sentenced 27-year-old cleaner Saviour Udoh to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl on a church premises. Justice Ramon Oshodi ruled that the prosecution had proven the offence of defilement beyond reasonable doubt, stating that Udoh’s actions were reprehensible and warranted the maximum punishment under the law.
Udoh, who was arraigned on February 5, 2020, faced a charge of sexual assault by penetration, to which he pleaded not guilty. According to the prosecution counsel, I.D. Solarin, Udoh’s actions violated Section 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The court learned that the incident occurred on December 12, 2018, at a prominent Pentecostal church in Ikeja, Lagos. Udoh, employed as a cleaner at the church, approached the sleeping child in the children’s department and sexually assaulted her. The victim’s mother reported the crime, leading to Udoh’s arrest.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Oshodi described the crime as grave, noting the extensive evidence presented during the trial, including the confessional statement, the testimonies of the victim and her mother, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), and medical evidence. “The crime he has committed is a grave one as it involves sexual exploitation of a vulnerable child,” Oshodi said.
Justice Oshodi highlighted the long-lasting impact of Udoh’s actions on the victim and her family. “The impact of your action on the victim and her family cannot be overstated. In her testimony, the victim’s mother stated that she was still taking the victim to the hospital three years after the incident and that the victim was still having discharges. This statement highlights the long-lasting physical and emotional trauma inflicted upon the child.”
Oshodi further noted, “The victim, who was only five years old at the time of the incident, trusted you, and her mother entrusted her in your care. You breached that trust, most disgustingly, by sexually assaulting the child. Sexual assault by penetration is a serious offence that attracts a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment under Section 261 of the Criminal Law.”
While acknowledging Udoh’s plea for mercy and his lack of previous convictions, Justice Oshodi stated, “I have considered other factors like the lack of previous convictions and your plea for mercy and sentencing. However, the aggravating factors outweigh any other circumstance.”
He convicted the defendant on the one-count charge of sexual assault by penetration and sentenced him to life imprisonment, ordering that the name of the convict should be registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.
“Therefore, having found you guilty of sexual assault by penetration, I now sentence you to imprisonment for life as mandated by Section 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State. You will serve this sentence in the maximum security custodial centre or wherever the Nigerian Correctional Service may direct you. And your name will be added to the register of sex offenders,” Justice Oshodi said.
