An Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Thursday sentenced a 21-year-old boat attendant, Idowu Lambason, to five years in prison for rape.
Magistrate F.O. Agbokhaevbo, while reading out the sentence, said that the imprisonment term was without `an option of fine` and that the sentence was with hard labour.
Aigbokhaevbo held that the boat attendant had pleaded guilty to the two counts levelled against him at his arraignment and that the evidence before the court showed that he committed the crimes.
“I have carefully listened to the plea for leniency for the accused by the defense counsel, Mr Emmanuel Banye.
“I cannot, however, close my eyes to the gravity of the offence and more importantly, the psychological impact on the complainant.
“The accused is hereby sentenced to four years imprisonment on the first count and another one year on second count.
“Hopefully, his imprisonment will discourage other men from engaging in such dastardly act,“ the magistrate said.
The magistrate, however, said that the jail terms were to run concurrently.
Lambason had pleaded guilty to the charges of unlawful having carnal knowledge and willful damage levelled against him on February 29.
“It is true I did it. I am guilty. It is the work of the devil,“ Lambason had pleaded at his arraignment.
On Thursday, the prosecutor, Sgt. Philip Osijale, read out the facts of the case to Lambason, which he said he understood.
According to Osijale, the complainant, names withheld, had on Feb. 26 accompanied her friend, identified as Abbey, to her boyfriend’s place at Takwa Bay, Ajegunle area of Lagos.
The prosecutor told the court that as the complainant was trying to find her way out of Takwa Bay at about 8 p.m., Lamabson approached her and offered to assist her.
“Instead, he led the complainant to a remote corner of Takwa Bay Beach, tore her top and underwear, held her down and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her,“ the prosecutor said.
Osijale said the offences contravened Sections 258 and 348 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
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