Vigilante bags life in prison for raping minor
An Edo State High Court has sentenced a vigilante, Enaho Odigie, to life in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl. Justice Mary Itsueli held that the offence was contrary to Section (4) and punishable under Section 5(1) of the Edo State Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, 2021. She said, “A person convicted of the offence […]
An Edo State High Court has sentenced a vigilante, Enaho Odigie, to life in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl.
Justice Mary Itsueli held that the offence was contrary to Section (4) and punishable under Section 5(1) of the Edo State Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, 2021.
She said, “A person convicted of the offence of rape under Section (4) of this law is liable to imprisonment for life without an option of fine.”
She noted that the prescribed punishment did not give the court any room for discretion, hence that having found the defendant guilty of the charge, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
She said, “It is immaterial that the defendant and the prosecutor were not found in a compromising position because most times the crime of rape is one hatched in secret where the only direct witnesses are the victim and the perpetrator.
“The victim was not married to the defendant, specifically both the victim and the defendant testified that they did not know each other before the fateful day.
“As rightly submitted by the learned defence counsel, the standard of proof required in a criminal trial is proven beyond reasonable doubt. Therefore, from the totality of evidence before me, there is no doubt in my mind that Pw2 was raped and the defendant was the one that raped her.
“In this case, l consider the seriousness of the offence to justify a sentence which l must therefore impose.
“The defendant is hereby convicted of the offence of unlawful carnal knowledge which has a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.”
City & Crime gathered that the convict raped the minor on August 22, 2021, in Egba community in Uhunmwonde LGA.