The Ado-Ekiti High Court has sentenced 20 -year-old Seun Olarewaju to 30 calendar months imprisonment for the offence of rape on a three-year-old girl.

The convict was arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Familoni on June 6, 2022, on a one-count charge of rape.

According to the charge, Mr Olarewaju, on August 6, 2021, at Ado Ekiti within the jurisdiction of the court, raped a three-year-old girl, contrary to section 31(1) of the Child Right Law, Cap C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

In her evidence before the court, the victim’s mother said, “I was not around. I did not know what happened until the following day when I was bathing my daughter. She did not allow me to wash her private parts.

”When I checked, I saw it was red and swollen. I was so scared. When I asked what happened to her bum bum, she repeatedly said it was Seun.”

She added, “Thereafter, I heard Seun’s mother and my mother-in-law fighting outside. It was then I had the true picture of what happened.

“My brother-in-law narrated what transpired between Seun’s mother, my mother-in-law and my daughter yesterday. I reported the matter to the police, who later took over the matter.”

To prove his case, the prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, called three witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statement, pictures of the victim and defendant, and medical report, among others, as exhibits.

The defendant spoke through his counsel, Luke Ekene. He prayed the court to temper justice with mercy and called four witnesses.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Familoni said, “I believe the defendant as a young person deserves a second chance to redeem himself and be a good citizen. He cannot do that if I sentence him to life imprisonment.

”Therefore, I am inclined to temper justice with mercy to afford him an opportunity of redemption.”

The accused was handed 30 months’ imprisonment without an option of a fine.

The sentence is to run effectively from September 20, 2021, when he was rearrested by the police and kept in detention.

(NAN)