Man bags 50-year jail term for r*pe of 19-year-old student

A 34-year-old quantity Surveyor and facilities manager, John Osagie Otema, has been sentenced to 50-years imprisonment for raping a 19-year-old student of UNILAG.

Otema, an alumnus of the institute was on Monday sentenced by an Ikeja Sexual Offence and Domestic Violence Court.

Before the ruling of Justice Abiola Soladiye, Otema was charged with three counts of rape and assault occasioning harm on two female students.

He was found guilty on two-counts of rape and assault occasioning harm in respect of the rape of the 19-year-old student (Student X) and was, however, found not guilty on a charge of raping a 20-year-old student (student Y) of the institution.

According to Justice Soladoye, the demeanor of student Y in her testimony was mischievous and she would not have claimed that she was raped if Otema had paid her the N50, 000 agreed upon before their rendezvous.

A portion of student Y’s testimony stated: “With intention to scare him off, I asked him for N100,000 but he said he will give me N50,000.

“I gave him my account number but he did not credit my account. Friendship with benefits was the crux of our relationship.”

“The defendant, John Osagie Otema in respect of count-one (rape) is found not guilty as there is overwhelming evidence before the court that sexual intercourse between the defendant and PW2 (Student Y) was consensual as it was friendship with benefits,” Soladoye said.

Based on the rape and assault occasioning harm of student X, an in addition to medical evidence and photographs tendered by the prosecution, Justice Soladoye convicted Otema, as student X also identified the defendant as her assailant who bit her back and punched her eyes.

Otema, who testified solely in his defence, denied committing the offences charged against him.

“For count-two (rape), the defendant is found guilty and is hereby sentenced to 50-years in prison as it the evidence adduced before this court has been proved beyond reasonable doubt by the prosecution.

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“With regard to count-three (assault occasioning harm) the defendant is found guilty and is hereby sentenced to three-years in prison as the prosecution has done its job diligently by proving the charge beyond reasonable doubt.”

“This State of Excellence has zero tolerance for this sort of crime and the punishment meted out to the defendant will serve as a deterrent to other sex offenders that they too will be caught and brought to justice.

“Women and girls like every other member of the society should be respected and not be turned into prey by sex maniacs,” soladoye decried the spate of sexual violence committed against women and girls.

During the trial, six witness, which includes the two students, a police woman, Insp. Nkem Ejelonu and three UNILAG staffs testified for the prosecution.

According to the prosecution led by Mrs Arinola Momoh-Ayokanbi, she said the incident with student Y happened on Jan. 31, 2018 at his home at No. 6, Ajileye St., Bariga, Lagos.

The prosecution also claimed that Otema had also raped student X within the premises of the institution, earlier that month.

“On Jan. 17, 2018 while coming from her hostel to Moremi Hall, Otema parked his car and asked student X for directions to Moremi Hall. He compelled her to enter the car under the guise of giving her a ride.

“He auto locked his car and drove her to the Distant Learning Institute (DLI) area where he assaulted her by punching her face several times, he bit her back, ordered her to undress and took her nude photos.”

Otema bagged 50-years in prison for the rape and three-years in prison for the assault on student X with both sentences to run concurently.

The offences contravene Sections 173 and 260(1)(2) of the Criminal Code, Law of Lagos State 2015.

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