Cleaner gets life sentence in prison for abusing a child in church

Saviour Udoh, a 27-year-old cleaner, was given a life sentence by the Ikeja Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Court on Monday for his sexual assault of a five-year-old girl on church property.

Judge Ramon Oshodi ruled that the prosecution had established beyond a reasonable doubt the convict’s offense of defilement and that the defendant’s actions were repugnant and entitled to the harshest penalty permitted by law.

On February 5, 2020, Udoh entered a not guilty plea to a charge of sexual assault by penetration that the state had preferred against him.

Section 261 of the Lagos State 2015 Criminal Law was broken, according to prosecution attorney I.D. Solarin, by Udoh’s offense.

The event happened on December 12, 2018, on the grounds of a well-known Pentecostal church in Ikeja, Lagos, according to testimony given to the court.

The sleeping youngster in the children’s department was approached by Udoh, who was also employed as a cleaner at the church, who then sexually attacked her.

Udoh was taken into custody when the victim’s mother informed the police about the crime.

In his ruling, Justice Oshodi stated that a serious offense had been committed.

He said, “The court has carefully considered the evidence presented during the trial, including the confessional statement, the testimony of the victim, her mother, the IPO, and the medical evidence. The crime he has committed is a grave one as it involves sexual exploitation of a vulnerable child.”

According to the judge, the victim is still suffering from the effects of the crime committed by the convict. He said, “The impact of your action on the victim and her family cannot be overstated. In her testimony, the victim’s mother stated that she was still taking the victim to the hospital three years after the incident and that the victim was still having discharges.

This claim draws attention to the child’s severe physical and psychological distress.

“The victim who was only five years old at the time of the incident trusted you, and her mother entrusted her in your care. You breached that trust, most disgustingly, by sexually assaulting the child. Sexual assault by penetration is a serious offence that attracts a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment under Section 261 of the Criminal Law”, he stated.

Justice Oshodi acknowledged the convict’s plea for mercy, saying, “I have considered other factors like the lack of previous convictions and your plea for mercy and sentencing. However, the aggravating factors outweigh any other circumstance.”

He found the defendant guilty of one count of sexual assault by penetration, sentenced him to life in prison, and directed that the Lagos State Sexual Offenses Registry be updated with the convict’s name.

He said, “Therefore, having found you guilty of sexual assault by penetration, I now sentence you to imprisonment for life as mandated by Section 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State. You will serve this sentence in the maximum security custodial centre or wherever the Nigerian Correctional Service may direct you. And your name will be added to the register of sex offenders.”