An Ikeja sexual offences and domestic violence court has
sentenced John Otema, an alumnus of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), to
50-year imprisonment for raping a 19-year-old student of the institution on
campus.
NAN reports that Otema, 34, a quantity surveyor and
facilities manager, was arraigned on Monday with three counts of rape and
assault occasioning harm on two female students.
He was found guilty on two counts of rape and assault
occasioning harm in respect of the rape of the 19-year-old student (student X)
but pleaded not guilty on a charge of raping a 20-year-old student (student Y)
of the institution.
He bagged 50-year in prison for the rape and three-year in
prison for the assault on student X with both sentences to run concurrently.
In absolving Otema of raping student Y, Abiola Soladoye, the
judge, noted that the demeanour of student Y in her testimony was mischievous
and she would not have claimed that she was raped if Otema had paid her the
N50,000 agreed upon before their rendezvous.
The judge quoted a portion of student Y’s testimony which
stated that “With the intention to scare him off, I asked him for N100,000 but
he said he will give me N50,000.
“I gave him my account number but he did not credit my
account. Friendship with benefits was the crux of our relationship.”
The judge described student Y as a game player who had
embarked on a sexual frolic.
“John Osagie Otema, the defendant, in respect of count-one
(rape) is found not guilty as there is overwhelming evidence before the court
that sexual intercourse between the defendant and PW2 (student Y) was
consensual as it was friendship with benefits,” she said.
In convicting Otema of rape and assault occasioning harm of
student X, Soladoye noted that in addition to medical evidence and photographs
tendered by the prosecution, student X had also identified the defendant as her
assailant who bit her back and punched her eyes.
“For count-two (rape), the defendant is found guilty and is
hereby sentenced to 50-years in prison as it the evidence adduced before this
court has been proved beyond reasonable doubt by the prosecution,” she held.
“With regard to count-three (assault occasioning harm) the
defendant is found guilty and is hereby sentenced to three years in prison as
the prosecution has done its job diligently by proving the charge beyond
reasonable doubt.”
The judge, who decried the spate of sexual violence committed
against women and girls, said the development will serve as a deterrent to
others.
Fred Onyeka, the defence counsel, had earlier in his plea
for mercy, said Otema is a young man with aged parents who also had his whole
life ahead of him.
Otema had during the trial denied committing the offences
charged against him.
Arinola Momoh-Ayokanbi, who led the prosecution team,
however, said the defendant had sexual intercourse with student Y without her
consent on January 31, 2018 at his home at No. 6, Ajileye St., Bariga, Lagos.
The prosecution claimed that earlier that month, Otema had
raped student X within the premises of the institution.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com