The Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Monday sentenced Olumuyiwa Adjoto to life imprisonment for sexually abusing his wife’s six-year-old niece.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Rahman Oshodi held that the prosecution had successfully proven two of the three charges against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.

Adjoto was arraigned by the Lagos State Government on charges of defilement, sexual assault by penetration, and indecent treatment of a child. The court found him guilty of defilement and sexual assault by penetration, but acquitted him of the indecent treatment charge.

Justice Oshodi described the offences as extremely serious, emphasizing the lasting harm inflicted on the child. “The evidence before the court clearly shows that the defendant violated the trust placed in him by abusing a minor who was left in his care,” the judge stated.

The ruling referenced expert medical testimony presented during the trial, which detailed the severe physical and psychological impact on the victim. The expert noted that the child experienced immediate emotional distress, including fear, withdrawal, and behavioural changes, while potential long-term effects could include anxiety, depression, and difficulties in forming healthy relationships.

Following the conviction, the court sentenced Adjoto to life imprisonment on both counts, ordering the sentences to run concurrently. “These sentences reflect society’s strong condemnation of sexual crimes against children,” Justice Oshodi ruled.

The court also ordered that Adjoto’s name be entered into the Lagos State Sex Offenders Register, in accordance with Sections 33 and 38 of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law, 2021.

During the trial, the prosecution, led by State Counsel Bukola Okeowo, called four witnesses, including the survivor, her mother, a medical professional, and an investigating police officer. Adjoto testified in his own defence as the sole defence witness.

The offences were reported to have occurred on April 22, 2022, in Mowo, Badagry, after the defendant’s wife left the child in his care. The acts contravened Sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.