Justice Served: Businessman Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Defiling 12- Year-Old Daughter
By Sakeenah Abdullateef
A Lagos based businessman, Oluwafemi Asekeji, 34, was on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment for defiling his 12-year-old biological daughter .
The judgment was delivered by Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court.
The court found Asekeji guilty of defilement, incest, and sexual abuse, citing the testimony of the victim and multiple witnesses.
The victim, now 14, recounted the incident, stating that her father had instructed her to undress and lie on the bed, then had sex with her and recorded videos, threatening to share them if she spoke out.
“The victim told the court that she was 14 years old but her father defiled her when she was 12 years old,”
Justice Soladoye said. “She testified that she was at home with her father, who was drunk on June 11, 2020, and he instructed her to enter the room and lie on the bed.” She added.
The survivor testified that her father had threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the abuse, which had been ongoing before the June 11, 2020, incident.
Medical reports confirmed the defilement, and witnesses, including the survivor’s grandmother and uncle, testified against Asekeji.
The convict’s mother, a petty trader, told the court that she had returned from the market to find blood on her granddaughter’s pant and that the girl had confided in her about the incident.
“She said her father gave her something to drink and then had sex with her,” the grandmother testified.
The survivor’s grandfather, 75, also testified against his son, stating that he had defiled his granddaughter. “The father of the convict, who is 75 years old, testified against him that he defiled his granddaughter by having unlawful sexual intercourse with her,” Justice Soladoye said.
Asekeji denied the charges but was found guilty based on circumstantial evidence, medical reports, and testimony from multiple witnesses.
Justice Soladoye sentenced Asekeji to life imprisonment and ordered his name registered in the Lagos State sexual Offences register.
“The convict’s act is against the law of nature and a case of incest that should never be heard of,” Justice Soladoye said.
“Oluwafemi Asekeji, you have been found guilty as charged and you are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment. The convict is to have his name registered in the Lagos State sexual Offences register.”
The State Counsel, Ms Abimbola Abolade, had told the court that Asekeji committed the offence on June 11, 2020, at Ilupeju Street, Araromi Bus Stop, Meiran in Lagos.
The prosecution presented five witnesses, while the convict testified alone.
In her judgment, Justice Soladoye said: “Apart from identifying Asekeji as her father, other witnesses confirmed the evidence of the victim. The survivor identified her biological father as the man who had sexual intercourse with her several times.”
