A commercial motorcyclist, Ayokunle Henry, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a 17-year-old girl in Ekiti State.

The 25-year-old convict was arraigned on one count of rape before an Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti.

The charge read, “Ayokunle Eric Henry, on December 25, 2019, in the bush between Ilawe and Igbara-Odo Ekiti, within the jurisdiction of this court, did rape a 17-year-old girl.”

In her statement to the police, the victim said the incident happened when she was going to Ilawe Ekiti from Igbara Odo Ekiti to deliver food to her mother and her brother’s wife, who put to bed on Christmas Day.

She said, “I got an Okada with an agreement with the rider to pay N500 to and fro before we left for Ilawe. The Okada man ate pepper soup and drank beer in a joint; he also bought fish and soft drink for me.

“Thereafter, we left for Ilawe Ekiti. On our way back, he entered a bush path between Ilawe and Igbara Odo; when I asked him why, he said he was avoiding police checkpoints on the road. I became uncomfortable and started shouting, but nobody came to my rescue.

“I jumped down from the motorcycle; he held my hands and forcibly removed my skirts and pants and raped me despite the fact that I was menstruating. I had never had sex with anybody prior to that time. He was arrested by a pastor after the act and handed over to a police patrol team on the road.”

The prosecutor, Kunle Adeyemo, said the offence contravened Section 31(2) of the Child’s Rights Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

Adeyemo, called three witnesses, including a medical doctor and the Investigating Police Officer, and tendered a medical report, photographs, among others, as exhibits, while the convict spoke through his counsel, Kolade Kolapo, and called no witness.

Justice Adekunle Adeleye, in his judgement, said, “The defendant did not raise any defence, save for the fact that he made endeavour to establish a relationship of boyfriend and girlfriend with the victim.

“In the final analysis, the prosecution has established the essential ingredients of the offence of rape against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.

‘’The defendant is found guilty as charged and he is sentenced to life imprisonment as provided for under the provisions of the Child’s Rights Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State.”

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