By Onoriode Etatsemi.
Delta State High Court sitting at Effurun Criminal Division, on Tuesday 28th March 2023, sentenced a 38 year old man, Godspower Ojakovo, to fifteen years imprisonment.
The court presided over by Honourable Justice Michael Nduka Obi, convicted the Defendant for defiling a ten year old girl.
The defendant was arraigned before the High Court on a charge of having unlawful carnal knowledge of a child at Effurun, on 30th March 2020, an offence punishable under Section 218 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21 Vol. 1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.
The prosecution led by Mrs. C. O. Onojovwo, a Chief State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Delta State, called three witnesses.
The witnesses informed the court that the defendant, who was a neighbour to the child’s parents at the time of the incident, formed the habit of sleeping with her when her parents were not around.
Godspower would often give the child fifty naira and sometimes one hundred naira after every act.
He also threatened to kill the child and her parents, if the child ever reported to them.
A vigilant neighbour who noticed the defendant’s acts, reported to the child’s parents, who in turn reported to the local vigilante.
A trap was thereafter set for the Defendant and was subsequently caught in the act as he was handed over to the police for investigation.
The defendant confessed to the Police and made a written confessional statement which was tendered in court.
However in his trial, the defendant retracted his confessional statement and denied committing the offence.
The Defendant stated that the parents of the child had issues with him and as such framed him up for the offence.
Delivering judgement, Honourable Justice Michael Nduka Obi held that the prosecution proved the case against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.
He dismissed the denial of the Defendant as an afterthought. The court stated that persons such as the defendant needed to be kept out of circulation so as to rid our streets of paedophiles.
He stated that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to other paedophiles, still walking freely on the streets of Delta State.
The court stated that the actions of the Defendant was despicable as he had succeeded in taking the child’s innocence from her, which she could no longer get back.
Speaking to newsmen after the Judgment, the Zonal Director of the Effurun Zone of the Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Rosemary Orukomienor, commended the court’s Judgment.
She stated that it showed that the zero tolerance policy of the Ministry towards all sex offenders, was on the right track.
The Chief State counsel said all well meaning citizens of the State must condemn the increasing spate of sex related offences in the State.
She advised parents to always watch their children so as to prevent their abuse by adults around them.
The name of Godspower Ojakovo has since been registered in the Delta State Sex Offenders Register and his details uploaded to the national database
