A 25-year-old man, Babatunde Sulaimon has been sentenced for involvement in the gang rape of a-16-year old girl (names withheld).
Justice Rahman Oshodi of Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, Ikeja, convicted and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment on an amended one-count charge of sexual assault on Thursday.
The trial judge convicted and sentenced the defendant after he pleaded guilty to an amended one-count charge brought against him by the Lagos State Government.
Assault: Gang rape
The defendant was alleged that while with five others on November 30, 2019 at about 2300hours raped one 16-year-old minor in an uncompleted building along Taiwo Olemoton street, Owutu Agric Ikorodu.
The defendant was initially charged with sexual assault by penetration but he denied the charge, an offence which attracts mandatory life imprisonment as punishment under the Criminal Law.
During the court proceedings, the State prosecutor told the court that the victim is a sales girl to a woman who reported the crime to the Police.
She said that the victim was went to buy food when six young men accosted her, attacked and gang raped her without her consent.
However, a patrol team of the Police arrested Babatunde but others fled the crime scene.
However, following negotiations between the prosecution and his defence counsel, a plea agreement was reached dated July 10, 2025.
The amended charge was read to him and he pleaded guilty.
After Babatunde agreed, the court sentenced him to 14 years on one count.
The sentencing will commence from December 11 2019.
The State Counsel Bukola Okeowo submitted that the convict’s act must have caused a psychological trauma to the victim.
The court also ordered that the convict’s name should be registered in the Sexual Offender’s register of Lagos State.
Babatunde was initially arraigned on November 30, 2019 when he pleaded not guilty.
The convict was later re-arraigned on July 7, 2025 and he changed his not guilty plea to guilty plea.
The offence contravenes Section 262 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The Defence Counsel prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, saying that he is a first-time offender.
“We plead for justice that will repair and not justice that will destroy the convict.”
The court held, “However, through the plea bargain process, you have pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of attempted sexual assault by penetration, under Section 262, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment.
“I have considered your plea for mercy by the defence counsel and I have also considered the prosecution’s submissions regarding the physiological trauma of the victim and cannot ignore it.”
Oshodi handed him the judgement, thus, “Having considered the plea bargain agreement, I hereby sentence you to 14 years imprisonment.
Justice Oshodi said that his sentencing should commence from December 12, 2019, the day of his remand and his name should be registered as sex offender.
Oshodi handed him the judgement, thus, “Having considered the plea bargain agreement, I hereby sentence you to 14 years imprisonment.
