35-year-old man, Hoya Abraham (alias star boy) will spend 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 12-year old girl.
He was sentenced by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court presided by Justice Rahman Oshodi on Thursday.
This was following his guilty plea to an amended charge of attempted sexual assault by penetration.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oshodi said that he was satisfied that Abraham understood the nature of plea bargain and the gravity of the charge against him.
Oshodi noted that Abraham pleaded not guilty to a charge of defilement, on arraignment on Aug. 8, 2021, adding that three prosecution witnesses had testified against him.
He said that the victim/survivor, her mother and an investigative police officer testified against Abraham.
“Her (victim/survivor) evidence was corroborated by the confessional statement of Abraham to have committed the offence.
“The victim in her testimony said that the defendant asked her to come over to his house to fry eggs for him and he ended up having sex with her which resulted in bleeding.
“However, when the case was called today, the prosecution informed the court that that defendant had opted for a plea bargain and he was re-arraigned on an amended information dated Jan. 18th the judge said.
Oshodi added that evidence presented by prosecution established an attempt to commit sexual assault by penetration.
“I hereby find the defendant guilty as charged.
“However, I have considered the plea bargain that you signed and the allocutus from your counsel.
“I hereby sentence you to 14 years’ imprisonment which will start from the day of your remand,” the judge said.
Oshodi directed that Abraham’s name should be put in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.
Defence counsel, Mr Nelson Onyejaka had in his allocutus (plea for leniency), prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
State counsel, Ms Bukola Okeowo, submitted that the convict committed the offence sometime in July 2019, on Mowo Kekere Elepe in Ikorodu, Lagos.
She said that the convict attempted to have sexual intercourse with the minor in contravention of Section 262 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
NAN
