An Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta on Monday sentenced Ojo Ezekiel, 47, a secondary school teacher, to life imprisonment for raping a seven-year-old minor.

Justice Abiodun Akinyemi stated that Ezekiel, first arraigned on July 1, 2022, was convicted on a sole count of rape, which is contrary to Section 3 (1) and punishable under Section 3 (2) of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law of Ogun State 2017.

Ezekiel was reportedly teaching at a secondary school that shares the same compound as the minor’s school.

The prosecuting counsel, Olusegun Olaotan, had told the court that the victim’s mother while bathing her seven-year-old daughter, observed that something was wrong with her private part.

After persistent questioning, the seven-year-old revealed to her mother how she was sexually abused by the teacher.

Olaotan, in his final submission, said: “While giving her evidence in court, the second prosecution witness (PW2), who is the victim, said that the defendant used to pull aside her pant before inserting his finger into her vagina.

“Evidence of the third prosecution witness (PW3) (medical doctor) corroborates that of the second prosecution witness. She testified that, in the course of examining, she discovered that the hymen of the PW2 was not intact. It was opened by 2cm.”

He noted that PW2’s evidence supports the fact that she was sexually assaulted and that this was further corroborated by exhibits 2 and 3 in addition to the testimony of PW1, the child’s mother, who observed that something was wrong with her private part.

Olaotan further revealed that the victim mentioned the name of the defendant as the only person who repeatedly, four times, inserted his finger into her private part.

The victim reportedly told the court that the defendant usually carried out this heinous crime inside his car, usually parked under a tree after school hours, after which he would instruct the victim not to tell anyone or else she would be beaten.

Olaotan thereafter urged the court to go ahead and punish the defendant for his misdeeds, as the evidence before the court is quite overwhelming and weighty enough to hold that the defendant was guilty of rape and should be convicted accordingly.

Justice Abiodun Akinyemi said the prosecuting counsel established the case of rape against the accused and thereafter sentenced him to life imprisonment.