An Ogun State High Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, has sentenced a 35-year-old man, Adekunle Olalere, to life imprisonment for defiling a two-year-old girl.

Olalere was, on Tuesday, convicted of one count of having sexual intercourse with the victim.

The convict, who resides at No. 18 Bashorun Street, off Unity Road, Olowotedo, Mowe, had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Abiodun Akinyemi said evidence presented before the court by the prosecution was tenable and found the convict guilty as charged.

“Based on the evidence, I find and hold that the convict had sexual intercourse with the child and is guilty as charged,” Akinyemi said.

The judge sentenced Olalere to life imprisonment.

The Assistant Chief State Counsel, Mrs Oluyemisi Aruleba, had told the court during trial that the convict committed the offence on March 22, 2017, at No. 18 Bashorun Street, off Unity Road, Olowotedo area of Mowe.

According to her, the convict forcefully had sexual intercourse with the two-year-old girl.

Aruleba said the victim’s mother was living with the convict and helping his wife to sell foodstuffs and other items.

The prosecutor said, “The victim’s mother met her two-year-old daughter crying and noticed that she was not walking properly; she checked her daughter’s private parts and noticed that they were swollen.

“She took the child to the hospital, where it was confirmed that there was presence of sperm cells in her private parts and also revealed that the child had been sexually abused by the convict.”

The prosecution counsel said the offence contravened Section 32 of the Child Right Law of Ogun State, 2006.

The trial of Andrew Yakubu, former Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),  before Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of Federal High Court, Abuja was on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, adjourned till October 14, 2020 for ruling on the admissibility of the testimony, which he gave as prosecution witness in a 2017 trial.

The testimony, presently identified as ‘Exhibit J,’ was given by Yakubu before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of Federal High Court, Abuja in January 2017 where he stood as prosecution witness in a case where some NNPC officials and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Ltd stood trial for illegal crude oil lifting.

At Wednesday’s sitting, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) M.S. Abubakar began with the cross-examination of the defendant, who was to testify on ‘Exhibit J’  as the first defence witness, but was opposed by the defence counsel, Ahmed Raji SAN, who objected to his client’s cross-examination on the exhibit.

To go on with the cross-examination, prosecution counsel argued that the exhibit was relevant in proving whether or not there was a predicate offence of money laundering in relation to count three and four of the charge,  as there was an increase in the defendant’s pecuniary resources which he cannot satisfactorily account for, and therefore urged the court to discountenance the objection and allow the cross-examination of the witness on contents in ‘Exhibit J’ to go on.

The defence counsel, however, told the court that the exhibit was irrelevant as it was tendered solely in respect of count-one and two which was struck out by the court, and that counts three and four, which were sustained by the court did not allege accruement of funds by the defendant. According to Raji, there must be a charge and proof of a predicate offence before a charge of money laundering can be meaningful, adding that the evidence the prosecution wanted to establish through cross examination on ‘Exhibit J’ was to prove an alleged predicate offence.

It could be recalled that Yakubu initially faced prosecution on six-count charges by the EFCC,  of which the court struck out counts one, two, five and six in a no- case submission by the defence, sustaining only counts three and four, which prompted the EFCC to approach the Supreme Court against the ruling, while the defence also approached the apex court on counts three and four, not struck out by the trial court.

The EFCC , on the strength of a whistleblower information,  raided Yakubu’s guest house, situated in Sabon Tasha slum of Kaduna State, and recovered the sums of $9.7 million and £74,000 hid by the defendant  in a fireproof safe.

The Osun State Magistrate Court sitting in Osogbo on Wednesday remanded two men and granted one other bail for allegedly stealing Plastic Bottles.

According to the charge sheet, Hamzat Rasak (34), Adesina Rasheed (23), Yakubu Taoheed (37) were alleged of stealing some plastic bottles from the factory of Iyanu Plastic Valued Seventy-Two thousand naira (#72,000:00k) only, properties of Fidudusola Olusegun.

The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Adeoye Taiwo disclosed that the suspects committed the offences on 20th July, 2020 at Iyanu Plastic Factory, opposite Heritage Hotel, Estate Area, in Osogbo.

He argued that the offence contrary to section 383 and punishable under section 390(9) of the criminal Code Cap 34 Vol.II , Laws of Osun State, Nigeria.

When the two count charges of felony and stealing were read to the accused persons, the first and second accused person pleaded not guilty while the third accused person pleaded guilty.

The defense counsel for the first and second accused persons, Kehinde Adepoju and the defense counsel for the third accused person, Muftau Abiodun applied for their bail on a liberal term with the assurance of a liable sureties.

While ruling, the Chief magistrate, F.I Omisade thereby remanded the first and second accused persons at Ilesha correctional centre while the third accused person was admitted to bail with the sum of two hundred thousand naira (#200,000:00k) with two sureties in like sum.

He, however, adjourned the case till 27 August, 2020.