The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has affirmed the judgment of the Sexual Offences Court which convicted and sentenced a Chrisland School supervisor, Adegboyega Adenekan, to 60 years’ imprisonment for defiling a two-year-old pupil.
The Presiding Justice of the Appeal Court, Justice Lawal Garuba who read the lead judgment held that the appeal filed by the convict lacks merit.
The other justices on the panel, Justice Gabriel Kolawole and Justice Bilkisu Aliyu also agreed with the lead judgment.
On Oct 24, 2019, Adenekan, 47, was convicted on one count of defilement of the pupil, who attended Chrisland School, VGC, an offence committed sometime in November 2016.
In her judgement, Justice Sybil Nwaka held that the prosecution proved its case against the convict beyond every reasonable doubt, adding that the evidence of the child that the convict defiled her twice was corroborated by a medical report from the Mirabel Centre, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
The victim, in her evidence before the court, said Mr Adenekan put his mouth and his hand in her wee-wee (private parts). She also said that the supervisor put his mouth in the private parts of her best friend (name withheld).
The little girl said Adenekan covered her mouth when she attempted to shout and that he defiled her twice on the school premises, at his office and at the hallway.
This defendant is conscienceless, wicked, an animal, and not fit to walk on the streets.
“I hereby sentence Adegboyega Adenekan to 60 years’ imprisonment. This is the sentence of the court,” the judge held.
Dissatisfied with the verdict, the convict through his lawyer, Olatunde Adejuyigbe, SAN, appealed against the whole judgment
He contended that the Prosecution had not proved the essential ingredients of the offence with which the appellant was charged.
Counsel for the State, Mr Babajide Boye asked the court of appeal to dismiss the appeal and uphold the judgment of the lower court.
In a unanimous judgment today, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and affirmed the Judgement of the lower Court.
During the trial, the prosecution called seven witnesses and closed its case on March 14, 2019, while the defence team also called five witnesses and closed its case on June 26, 2019.
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