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‘Serial paedophile’ head teacher bags life jail for defiling 2 seven-year-olds

A PRIMARY school head teacher, Benjamin Ogba, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a judge, Abiola Soladoye, of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court for defiling two minors.

On Tuesday, October 8, Soladoye ruled that the prosecution proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt, with the ingredients of defilement to the court’s satisfaction.

Describing the defendant as a “serial paedophile”, the judge held that his witnesses were tainted with lies.

“The convict and his fellow defence witnesses were not truthful and credible in their testimonies, during the trial. Their testimonies were a pack of lies and fell asunder like a pack of cards.

“This serial paedophile, a head teacher, who is expected to teach his students morals, stooped so low and defiled the underage girls. What a shame!

“This irresponsible and randy teacher, who teaches his students nonsense, should be locked away,” she ruled.

In addition, Soladoye said all cases of sexual abuse should be reported and not ignored, advising parents to report such incidents to the proper authorities without giving up.

“Continuous education and awareness of this issue of sexual menace must be at the forefront of all stakeholders in the administration of justice to advocate the rights of young children.

“The defendant, having been found guilty of the two counts bordering on defilement, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the counts.

“The sentencing, will, however, run concurrently and his name registered in the Sex Offences Register as maintained by the Lagos State,” she added.

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The state prosecution counsel, Olusola Soneye during the trial stated that the convict committed the offence sometime between April and May 10, 2019, at Shalom Private School, Oke-Ira Road, Ebutte Metta in Lagos.

Ogba defiled two underage girls who were both seven years old by having unlawful sexual intercourse with them.

The prosecutor noted that the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.




     

     

    The ICIR reported that the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has been publishing the names and pictures of sex offenders who have been convicted for their offences.

    Although Lagos began publishing names of offenders in 2022, its register had been open since 2014.

    In 2019, the Nigerian government launched its first National Sex Offenders Register to name and shame rapists and other forms of violence against persons offenders across the country.

    Some other states, including Delta, Ogun, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Adamawa, Abia, and Kaduna, also keep a register of sex offenders.

    Another report by The ICIR shows that in Nigeria, six out of every 10 children suffer from one or more forms of physical, sexual or emotional violence before the age of 18. More than 70 per cent of children experience this violence repeatedly, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

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