A Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a man, Bamidele Folorunsho, to ten years in jail for indecent treatment and sexual assault of a juvenile by touching her anus and caressing her breasts.
Justice Rahman Oshodi, who delivered the verdict, found Folorunsho guilty of two revised counts brought against him by the Lagos State Government.
The offender, who was first accused of defilement of a 12-year-old child in February 2018, was arraigned in October 2021 and pleaded not guilty.
However, when the issue came up on Wednesday, O. Aluko, the state’s prosecution attorney, informed the court that the convict had agreed to a plea deal.
Folorunsho was then re-arrested on two modified counts of indecent treatment (rubbing the victim’s anus with his hands) and sexual assault (fondling her breasts with his hands).
The prosecutor, Aluko, notified the court that both parties had reached a plea and punishment agreement on December 12, 2024.
Aluko informed the court that Dr. Babajide Martins, the Director of Public Prosecutions, had approved a 10-year prison term.
“My Lord, the prosecution did not call any witnesses before Folorunsho accepted the plea bargain agreement, and he was remanded on March 22, 2018,” she said.
Aluko stated that the plea deal required the filing of an updated charge.
The judge questioned Folorunsho if he understood the wording of his guilty plea and the court’s obligation to impose the maximum penalty for the offences.
Folorunsho admitted that he entered into the plea deal voluntarily and under caution and that he was happy with the advice of his lawyers.
The defence counsel, M.I. Alagbala, said, “We apply for a plea bargain for Folorunsho; we beg the court to grant the plea bargain.”
The amended accusation was then read to him, and he admitted guilt.
The prosecution claimed that the convict’s actions violated Sections 135 and 263 of Lagos State’s Criminal Law of 2015.
Justice Oshodi sentenced the defendant to ten years in prison after finding him guilty of the offences.
“I have found you guilty based on your plea in the amended information dated December 11, 2024. I have carefully considered the plea bargain agreement and your show of remorse.
“I sentence you to 10 years of imprisonment, which will commence from March 22, 2018, and your name should be registered as a sex offender,” Oshodi ruled.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
