Ekiti Court Jails Cleric Five Years for Defiling Minor

Victor Ogunje

A High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, has sentenced a Cleric, Gabriel Asateru, to five years imprisonment for raping a minor.

The Cleric was accused of defiling a five-year old girl before he was arrested by the police and transferred to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) section of the Police Headquarters in Ado Ekiti.

Asateru, 53, who was a priest with Anglican Church, committed the offence on December 23, 2016, at Ifisin Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

The suit with registration number HAD/112/ 117 was first heard on January 2018 before Justice Oluwatoyin Abodunde on a one count charge of unlawful sexual intercourse.

According to the charge sheet, the accused person committed the offence contrary to section 31 of the Child’s Rights Law Cap 7, Laws of Ekiti State Nigeria, 2005.

Delivering her judgement yesterday, Justice Abodunde said: “The accused person stands guilty and accordingly convicted to serve 5 years imprisonment and to also pay a sum of N50, 000 fine as stipulated by child’s rights law 2005.”

At the hearing stage, the Prosecuting Counsel, Ronke Odetola , from the office of Department of Public Prosection (DPP) tendered the Doctor’s Report and the defendant’s statement on oath.

She also called three witnesses to testify against the Cleric while Barrister Olanrewaju Oluwasola stood for the accused person.

The federal government yesterday reconstituted the ‘Permanent Standing Committee on InterGovernmental Affairs under the Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation ( SGF).

The committee, which existed under the defunct Federal Ministry of Special Duties and InterGovernmental Affairs, became moribund after the scrapping of the ministry at the inception of the present administration in 2015.

Though the two departments of the ministry namely: Special Duties and States and Local Governments Affairs, were transferred to the Office of the SGF, however, the