An Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti has sentenced 33-year-old Oluwatuyi Bidemi to 84 years imprisonment for robbery, attempted murder and others.
The defendant was arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Familoni on 21 July 2021 on four-count charges of attempted murder, robbery, kidnapping and rape.
His alleged crime is contrary to Sections 320, 402 (1) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap.C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012, Section 2 of the Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, No 18 of 2019 and Section 3 of Ekiti State Kidnap and Terrorism (Prohibition) Law, No. 12 of 2015.
The charge read that the convict on 7th July 2021 at Omuo Ekiti within the jurisdiction of the court attempted to murder one Abiodun Agnes, and also rob her of her phone, charger, wristwatch, ATM cards and others, and on the same date and place did kidnap and rape the victim.
In her evidence before the court, the victim said, ”I am a civil servant, I was going to the office through a bush path around 8:00am, other residents are also passing there, suddenly, somebody held my neck from behind, I could barely breath when he dragged me into the bush, he tied and inserted a handkerchief into my mouth, he collected my wrist watch, phone, charger, ATM Cards etc, he held my neck again and I became unconscious when I gained consciousness, I discovered he had raped me while my armpit and private part hairs had been shaved.”
At this point, he had left and I saw some people passing but I could not shout due to the cloth inserted in my mouth, I later crawled out where some passersby rescued me and took me to the hospital.
I was in the bush from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, when I described the defendant, some people knew him through his identity and he was later arrested by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp, NSCDC, in Omuo Ekiti, she concluded.
To prove her case, the prosecutor, Oluwaseun Olasanmi called four witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statements, and medical report among others as exhibits. The defendant spoke in his own defence through his lawyer Charles Ayobioloja, he called no witness but prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
In his judgement, Justice Familoni said, ”it is my findings that the prosecution has proved the offences of attempted murder, robbery, kidnapping and rape against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt in this case.
”The sole issue for determination is resolved in favour of the prosecution. Accordingly, He is convicted on all the counts as charged.
”The defendant is sentenced to 21 years imprisonment on each of the four counts without the option of fine.
The sentences are to run concurrently with effect from the date of arrest and detention of the defendant”, the judge pronounced.
