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A 27-year-old cleaner, Saviour Udoh, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl on the premises of a church in Ikeja, Lagos.
Justice Ramon Oshodi delivered the judgment at the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, finding Udoh guilty of defilement without reasonable doubt. The judge described the defendant’s actions as “reprehensible” and deserving of the maximum punishment under the law.
Udoh was arrested and arraigned on February 5, 2020, after being accused of sexual assault by penetration. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charge, but the prosecution presented evidence that showed he had committed the crime.
The court heard that the incident occurred on December 12, 2018, when Udoh, who worked as a cleaner at the church, sexually assaulted the sleeping child in the children’s department. The victim’s mother reported the crime to the authorities, leading to Udoh’s arrest.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Oshodi emphasized that the crime was a grave one that involved sexual exploitation of a vulnerable child. He noted that the victim is still suffering from the physical and emotional trauma caused by the assault, and that her mother continues to take her to the hospital for treatment three years after the incident.
The judge highlighted that Udoh breached the trust placed in him by the victim and her mother, and that his actions were “most disgustingly” reprehensible. He acknowledged Udoh’s plea for mercy but stated that the aggravating factors of the case outweighed any mitigating circumstances.
Consequently, Justice Oshodi convicted Udoh on the one-count charge of sexual assault by penetration and sentenced him to life imprisonment. He also ordered that Udoh’s name be registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.
The sentence was delivered with a stern warning to Udoh to serve his sentence in a maximum-security custodial center or wherever directed by the Nigerian Correctional Service.
