Agency Report/
An Ado-Ekiti High Court has sentenced a 25-year-old driver, Tope Ojolo, to life imprisonment for raping a College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti student.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ojolo was also sentenced to 21 years imprisonment for robbing the student of N50,000.
The convict was arraigned on a two-count charge of rape and robbery.
According to the charge, Ojolo was said to have, on Nov. 17, 2017, robbed a 23-year-old College of Education, Ikere Ekiti (now Bamidele Olumilua University) student of her N50,000 at Ikere-Ekiti and also raped her.
The offences are said to be contrary to Sections 402 (2)(a) and 358 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
In her testimony before the court, the victim said that she entered a mini-bus, popularly known as Akoto from Ikere township to the college around 7:00 p.m. on the fateful day.
She said that she was the only passenger in the mini-bus, adding that while almost at the school gate, Ojolo drove her to a bush path and dragged her to an uncompleted building.
“He (convict) forcefully striped me naked, covered my mouth with his clothe and threatened to kill me if I dare shout, after which he raped me twice.
“I first escaped but he gave me a hot chase. When I fell down, he beat me and took me back to the same spot after which he raped me for the second time.
“After satisfying himself, he searched me and my bag, and collected the N50,000 meant for my school fees, my necklace, worth of N5,000, my phone, worth #45,000 and other things that I cannot remember.
“He, thereafter, ordered me to put on my clothes and get out of his sight.
“I shouted and wept profusely, but there was nobody to come to my rescue. I trekked back to school and told my friends what happened,” she narrated.
To prove his case, the State Counsel, Olawale Fapohunda (SAN), called four witnesses and tendered the statements of the defendant, the medical report, statements of the victim and the paint bucket used during the act, among others as exhibits.
The convict, however, spoke through his counsel, Sunday Ochayi, while he called no witness.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, said that he found the convict guilty as charged and accordingly convicted him of robbery and rape.
Ogunmoye sentenced Ojolo to 21 years imprisonment on count one (robbery) and life imprisonment on count two (rape).
He ordered that the terms be run concurrently.
*NAN
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