Anglican priest bags 5-year jail term for defiling minor in Ekiti

An Anglican priest, Gabriel Asateru, was on Monday sentenced to five years imprisonment by a High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, for defiling a minor.

While ruling over the case, Justice Oluwatoyin Abodunde said Asateru, 53, stands guilty and is convicted to serve a prison term of five years.

She also added that the convict will pay N50,000 fine as stipulated by the Child’s Rights Law 2005.

Earlier, the Prosecuting counsel Ronke Odetola had informed the court that the convict defiled a five-year-old girl on December 23, 2016 at Ifisin-Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

Read also: Woman arraigned in court for stealing a month-old baby

The priest was arrested by the police and transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Ado-Ekiti for prosecution.

Odetola said the offence was contrary to Section 31 of the Child’s Rights Law Cap 7, Laws of Ekiti State Nigeria, 2005.

The suit with registration number HAD/112/ 117 was first heard in January 2018 before Justice Oluwatoyin Abodunde on a one-count charge of unlawful sexual intercourse.

Odetola tendered the doctor’s report and the defendant’s statement on oath to prosecute her case.

She called three witnesses to testify against the priest.

 

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