Court Convicts Two for Rape

Adibe Emenyonu

For raping a 16-year-old secondary school student, a Magistrate Court in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State has convicted two persons, while the third suspect is still at large.

They were sentenced to four years imprisonment with an option of N400,000 fine after pleading guilty for the offence.

The convicts are Monday Ogedengbe and Dauda Iyamah who were convicted on charge no MIG/16C/2017 presided over by Chief Magistrate A. Abhulimen-Iyoha.

The victim, who is a student of Ososo Grammar School, was said to have been gang raped by three men. The two convicts sexually violated her without her consent while the third who is still at large, allegedly covered her mouth and held her down. The culprits threatened to kill her to prevent her disclosure of the crime.

She was said to have been dragged out of her school compound and gang raped by the two young men with the assistance of a third person.

The culprits were apprehended by the Ososo Vigilante and the handed over to the Nigeria Police Igarra Division. Executive Director, Brave Heart Initiative for Youth and Women (BHI), Priscilla Usiobaifo, who acted for the victim, however, expressed reservation with the court’s option of fines for “such a serious case as rape.”

“BHI strongly condemns the option of fine because no amount can justify such violently traumatic crime, but we see this as a victory anyway. The rapists are now convicts and their names will appear on the Edo State Sexual Offenders Register, she said.