The Ekiti High Court in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced two teachers, Gbenga Ajibola (43) and Olaofe Ayodele (52), to a total of 44 years in prison for the r@pe of two female students, aged 15 and 17.
Justice Adeniyi Familoni delivered the verdict on Tuesday, imposing a custodial sentence without the option of a fine.
The defendants, who were arraigned on March 2, 2022, faced a three-count charge bordering on rape and abuse of office.
The prosecution, led by Kunle-Shina Adeyemi, revealed that the crimes were committed in November 2019 in Ado Ekiti. The victims, whose identities were withheld, were students at a school where the convicts were employed as teachers.
According to the prosecution, the offences contravene Section 31(2) of the Child’s Right Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
The court heard how the defendants lured the minors to a hotel in the Oke-Ila area of Ado Ekiti, where they were sexually assaulted.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that, in his judgment, Justice Familoni stated that the defendants acted with a clear mind, disregarding their conscience as they exploited the victims with reckless abandon.
“They deserve severe penal sanctions for their misdeeds to serve as a warning and deterrent to others who may consider following in their footsteps,” he said.
Justice Familoni then sentenced the defendants, Ajibola Gbenga and Olaofe Ayodele, to 20 years in prison each without the option of a fine on count one and two years each without the option of a fine on count two.
However, he ruled that the sentences, totaling 44 years, would run concurrently.
52 Persons Arraigned for Violating Ekiti Environmental Laws
In another development, fifty-two persons have been arraigned before an Ekiti State Magistrate’s Court, Ado Ekiti District, for alleged violations of the environmental health and sanitation laws of the state.
A statement by the State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, made available in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, said, “The suspects were charged to court for allegedly violating the environmental health and sanitation laws of Ekiti State during Saturday’s environmental sanitation exercise.”
It added that Magistrate Olubunmi Bamidele sentenced 37 of the suspects to one-month imprisonment each, having found them guilty of the allegations preferred against them.
“The magistrate, however, gave the 37 convicts the option of a fine.”
In the judgment, Magistrate Bamidele stated that “the offenders failed to adhere to the state’s environmental sanitation guidelines,” stressing that their conviction would serve as a deterrence to other sanitation offenders.
“The court, however, discharged 15 other suspected offenders after their cases were heard,” the statement added.
According to the statement, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe, speaking in Ado Ekiti while monitoring the environmental sanitation exercise, urged residents to maintain a high level of hygiene to rid the state of communicable diseases.
Aluko-Ajisafe, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Tunde Balogun, reiterated that “Environmental sanitation is a collective responsibility. We urge residents to actively participate in keeping their surroundings clean.”
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring a hygienic and sustainable environment.
The commissioner warned that “Violators of sanitation laws would continue to face strict penalties as part of the enforcement strategy to maintain compliance.”
Aluko-Ajisafe urged community leaders and stakeholders to intensify awareness campaigns on the importance of sanitation, stressing that “enforcing sanitation laws is a proactive measure to prevent disease outbreaks caused by poor hygiene.”
