The Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday convicted and sentenced an Arabic teacher, Oladosu Sakiru, to 21 years of imprisonment for attempting to sexually assault a 13-year-old female student.
The presiding judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, sentenced Sakiru following his guilty plea to the amended two counts of attempted sexual assault by penetration and indecent treatment of a child.
Oshodi, in his verdict, admonished the defendant for betraying the trust the parents of the survivor placed in him for enrolling their children in the Islamic school.
The judge found that the evidence before the court showed a pattern of predatory activity as the prisoner subjected the survivor to inappropriate contact and forced himself on her.
When confronted with his actions, the inmate found safety in the oft-repeated remark, “It was the work of the devil.”
Oshodi argued that religious leaders and teachers, like the convict, held a sacred place in society, and that when such individuals violated the trust placed in them by preying on children, the court must respond with appropriate severity to reflect society’s condemnation and deter others from committing similar acts.
“As an imam and an Arabic school teacher, you occupy a position of significant trust, that trust extended not only to the 13-year-old child, the one you victimised, but also to her parents and the entire community who look to you for spiritual and moral guidance.
“You betrayed this trust in the most deplorable manner,” he said.
The court sentenced Sakiru to 14 years imprisonment on point one and 7 years on count two. Oshodi ruled that the jail terms should be served consecutively and the convict’s name should be placed in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.
The convict initially pleaded not guilty when arraigned on March 17, 2023. During the trial, the prosecution presented compelling evidence against the convict through two witnesses (the survivor and her father).
On September 6, 2024, the prosecution informed the court that the convict had opted for a plea bargain, resulting in the amended charge.
