Man To Spend 10 Years In Jail For Sexual Assault

Stanley Mbadiwe has been convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday for sexually assaulting and indecently treating a nine-year-old girl.

Initially, Mbadiwe pleaded not guilty to defilement charges in 2019 but later accepted a plea deal, admitting to indecent treatment and sexual assault under Sections 135 and 263 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

The prosecution stated that Mbadiwe committed the offenses in May 2018 at Isolo, Ikeja division, Lagos.

The victim’s mother and the victim testified against Mbadiwe, describing the event as a forcible rape.

Justice Rahmon Oshodi emphasized the severity of Mbadiwe’s actions, saying: “Stanley Mbadiwe, I have found you guilty of indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault contrary to Section 135 and 263 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

“The gravity of your offence cannot be overstated as it weighs heavily upon this court. You sexually assaulted a nine-year-old girl, a vulnerable member of our society, yet have pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

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“Your reprehensible actions have not only convicted the bodily integrity of an innocent child but have also in all likelihood inflicted a long-lasting emotional and psychological trauma that will haunt the victim for years to come.”

Regarding the plea deal, Justice Oshodi noted: “The plea bargain contained a compensation clause under Section 272 of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State as amended in 2021… I accept that the N1m compensation paid to the victim’s family demonstrated a measure of genuine remorse on his part.

“However, I must note that no financial compensation can genuinely undo the harm you have caused.”

The court sentenced Mbadiwe to: “Seven years imprisonment on count one and three years on count two. I now sentence you to 10 years imprisonment from your remand on May 8, 2018. Furthermore, you shall be registered as a sex offender, a designation that will follow you long after your release.”

The total term of imprisonment is 10 years.