Ondo man bags life jail for defiling neighbour’s six-year-old daughter

<p>An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure, the state capital, has sentenced a man, Joseph Agbomu, to life imprisonment for defiling his neighbour’s six-year-old daughter.</p>, <p>The 37-year-old farmer was arrested by men of the state police command after committing the act in Ijebu-Owo, Owo Local Government Area of the state.</p>, <p>He was later charged to court in March 2019.</p>, <p>The convict, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.</p>, <p>The prosecutor said the offence committed contravened Sections 375, 378 of the Ondo State Criminal Code, 2006.</p>, <p>In his judgment, Justice Yemi Fasanmi held that the prosecution proved the case of rape against the convict beyond a reasonable doubt.</p>, <p>The court also held that the testimony of the victim was convincing and truthful.</p>, <p>The judge said the convict, in his extra-judicial statement obtained on December 12, 2019, confessed to the commission of the crime, that he had carnal knowledge of the victim in his room without using a condom after taking a herbal alcoholic drink.</p>, <p>According to the court, the victim’s testimony is corroborated by the convict’s confessional statement that he had unlawful sexual intercourse with her.</p>, <p>“The defendant (Agbomu) is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment for the defilement of a child to serve as a deterrent to others who might engage in such act,” the court ruled.</p>