Man sentenced to life imprisonment for defiling 4-year-old in church

A man named Ifeanyi Ndieze has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Lagos for sexually assaulting a four-year-old child in a church.

The verdict was delivered by Justice Abiola Soladoye, who found Ndieze guilty of the offense of sexual assault by penetration on Tuesday, October 3.

The prosecution presented four witnesses during the trial, including the victim's six-year-old brother, who testified that the convict had sexually assaulted his sister by inserting his finger into her private part during a church program.

The victim's mother also provided testimony, stating that her daughter had been bleeding profusely after the incident, leading them to seek medical attention where they later reported the matter to the police.

The offense, according to the prosecution, took place on October 29, 2020, at a residence in the Surulere area of Lagos State in Nigeria.

The judge emphasized that the prosecution had successfully established the elements of sexual assault by penetration under Section 261 of the Criminal Law and condemned the defendant's behavior as unforgivable.

In addition to the life imprisonment sentence, the judge ordered that Ndieze's name be included in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.

Delivering her judgment, the judge said, “The ingredients of sexual assault by penetration were thoroughly satisfied under Section 261 of the Criminal Law by the prosecution. This is an unforgivable behaviour.

“The defendant is hereby found guilty of sexually assaulting a four-year-old child, and he is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment.”