A Lagos division of Court of Appeal, on Monday affirmed the decision of a Lagos High Court, that convicted and sentenced a former supervisor with Chrisland Schools, Mr. Adegboyega Adenekan, to 60 years imprisonment for defiling a two and half years pupil of the school.
Justice Mohammed Garba and other members of the panel unanimously affirmed the judgement of the lower court and held that Adenekan’s appeal lacked merit and dismissed his case.
Justice Sybil Nwaka of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court had on October 24, 2019 convicted and sentenced Adenekan to 60-years imprisonment for defiling the pupil of Chrisland school.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Nwaka at the perpetrator’s conviction held that Adenekan abused the trust of children in his care as well as the trust of their parents.
“This defendant is conscienceless, wicked, an animal and is not fit to walk the streets. I hereby sentence Adegboyega Adenekan to 60-years in prison this is the sentence of the court,” she said.
Following Adenekan’s sentencing, his defence counsel, Mr. Olatunde Adejuyigbe,SAN, however, filed an appeal challenging the validity of the entire judgement.
The prosecution led by Mr. Babajide Boye in response to the appeal, maintained that Adenekan committed the offence and that the High Court was just in sentencing him.
Adenekan was arraigned before an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on January 29, 2018 and had pleaded not guilty to a charge of defilement.
Mr. Boye had said that Adenekan committed the offence sometime in November 2016 at Chrisland School, VGC, Lagos.
The prosecution had alleged that Adenekan had defiled the toddler by having unlawful sexual intercourse with her, in contravention of Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
During the trial at the Court, seven witnesses including the pupil and her mother testified for the prosecution.
The pupil who was four years old when she testified on March 22, 2018, had narrated to the court how Adenekan had defiled her.
“He put his mouth in my wee-wee, the first time he did that, he took me out of the class, the second time, I ran.
“I tried to report to my teacher but my teacher did not believe me, so I reported to my mummy.
“First time he did it was inside his office which was the toilet, the second time he did it was in the hall which was outside.
“I did not like what he did, he put his hand in my wee-wee, he put his wee-wee in my wee-wee and he put his mouth in my wee-wee,” the pupil testified.
The prosecution closed its case on March 14, 2019.
Five witnesses, including Adenekan and the head teacher of the nursery section of the Chrisland School, testified for defence.
The defence closed its case at the High Court on June 26, 2019.
