The Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja, has convicted and sentenced a trader, Abdullahi Sale, to life imprisonment for the offences of child defilement and abduction of his 13‑year‑old neighbour.
Delivering judgment, Justice Rahman Oshodi found the defendant guilty on a two‑count charge brought by the Lagos State Government under sections 137 and 268 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Section 137 prescribes life imprisonment for child defilement, underscoring the legislature’s intent to treat such offences with utmost severity while Section 268 criminalises abduction, with a penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.
Sale, a resident of a “face‑me‑I‑face‑you” apartment at 18 Agunbiade Street, Kirikiri Town, Apapa, lured the victim, a JSS1 student, into his room, where he defiled and detained her for 11 days.
The victim’s mother testified that her daughter went missing after church service, while the convict feigned concern, repeatedly inquiring about her whereabouts despite secretly holding her captive. A naval officer later found the girl on the street, leading police officers to Sale’s apartment, where she revealed details of her confinement.
Medical evidence presented by Nwoke Okoi Oluchi, a nurse and midwife at the WARIF Centre, Yaba, confirmed signs of sexual assault, including bruising and healed lacerations, consistent with forced penetration.
Sale denied the allegations, claiming the girl sought ₦15,000 for an abortion. Justice Oshodi dismissed this testimony as “wholly incredible,” noting its contradictions and inconsistency with established facts.
The court held that the victim was 13 years old, legally a child under the Child Rights Law and a child cannot consent to sexual activity or prolonged detention. The medical evidence corroborated the survivor’s testimony, leaving no reasonable doubt as to the defendant’s culpability.
Justice Oshodi described the crimes as grievous, stressing the betrayal of neighbourly trust and the aggravation of the family’s distress. He sentenced Sale as follows:
– Count One (Defilement, Section 137): Life imprisonment.
– Count Two (Abduction, Section 268): Seven years’ imprisonment, to run concurrently with the life sentence.
The court further ordered, pursuant to sections 33 and 38 of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law, 2021, that Sale’s name be entered into the Sex Offenders Register.
