After 15 months of trial, a defiler, 28-year-old Kingsley Inyang is to spend the rest of his life in jail, a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere ruled on Monday.
Inyang bagged life imprisonment for defiling a 12-year-old girl.
Sedoten Ogunsanya, the judge who handed down the verdict, found him guilty of the offence which contravened section 137 of the criminal law of Lagos state, 2015.
In the trial that lasted for one year and three months, Ogunsanya held that the Lagos state prosecution team led by Adebayo Haroun, proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt.
She said Inyang’s defence was inconsistent with the testimony of his girlfriend, who stated that on the day of the incident, Inyang spent only 15 minutes with her, contrary to his (Inyang) claim that he was with her the whole day.
Inyang, who resided at 16, Adetunde Arogundade St., Fagba, a Lagos suburb, was arraigned on March 3, 2017.
According to the prosecution, he defiled the girl, his church member, in his home on July 26, 2015.
At his arraignment, he had pleaded not guilty and was granted bail.
During the trial, the girl told the court that the first time Inyang defiled her was on a Sunday evening after a fellowship after which he threatened to assault her if she told anyone.
“Three days later, my younger brother and I passed his house on our way home from Bible Study in church and Inyang beckoned on me,” she said.
“He sent my brother outside and pounced on me. He said I should not let anybody know, otherwise he will beat me.” (NAN)