An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Monday sentenced a 32-year-old bricklayer, Azeez Shoderu, to life imprisonment for defiling his neighbour’s eight-year-old daughter inside a toilet.
The convict, popularly known as Chisco, was charged with one count of defilement by the Lagos State Government, following an incident that occurred on Ago-Hausa Street in the Ajegunle area of Lagos.
Delivering judgment, Justice Rahman Oshodi held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court found that the child’s testimony was direct, detailed, and compelling, and was further corroborated by the Investigating Police Officer and a medical doctor.
“The prosecutrix (survivor) gave a compelling eyewitness account before this court,” the judge said. “She stated that the convict took her to the toilet, carried her on his lap, covered her mouth, and put his ‘thing’ in her bumbum.”
The court noted that the girl also described how Shoderu removed her underwear, and how he attempted to escape after a neighbour saw them—throwing her into another bathroom before fleeing.
Justice Oshodi emphasized that the child’s account remained consistent throughout the proceedings. On the contrary, the convict’s testimony was described as incoherent and lacking credibility, especially his claim that he only asked the girl to fetch water for him.
The survivor stated that she had gone to urinate when the convict attacked her. This version of events was supported by a medical report and testimonies from both the IPO and a medical expert.
The judge stressed that a child under the age of 18 cannot consent to sexual activity, making any such act a criminal offence.
Shoderu, who squatted in the compound where the survivor lived, had pleaded not guilty to the charge when arraigned on September 29, 2023.
At the conclusion of the trial, the judge sentenced him to life imprisonment and ordered that his name be entered into the Sex Offenders Register of Lagos State.
The prosecution team, led by Mr. Dare Dada, called three witnesses and presented documentary evidence to prove the charge. The convict testified alone in his defence.
The offence violates Section 137 of the Lagos State Criminal Law of 2015, which prescribes life imprisonment for defile
