Court Sentences Two Ekiti Teachers To 44 Years Imprisonment Over Alleged Rape

An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, on Tuesday, imposed a 44-year prison sentence on two teachers for crimes related to the sexual assault of minors and the misuse of their official positions.

Naija News reports that the accused, Gbenga Ajibola (43) and Ayodele Olaofe (52), were brought before the court on March 2, 2022, facing three charges concerning rape and abuse of office.

The indictment states that the first defendant, in November 2019 in Ado Ekiti, committed the act of raping a 17-year-old girl. Additionally, the second defendant is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl during the same month, in violation of Section 31(2) of the Child’s Right Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

Furthermore, both defendants were charged with abusing their positions as public servants in November 2019 in Ado Ekiti, contrary to Section 104 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State 2012, as stated in the charges.

During her testimony in court, one of the victims, who identified Ajibola as her computer teacher, recounted that on the day in question, he instructed her to dress casually and provided her with N200 to wait for him in front of a filling station along Bank Road, Ado Ekiti.

“He later came there alongside Mr Olaofe. Before they came, one of my classmates also came there, she told me that Mr Olaofe asked her to wait there for him.

“When they came, we all left for a hotel, around the Oke-Ila area of Ado Ekiti. At the hotel, we were taken to different rooms where Mr Ajibola had sexual intercourse with me. After that day, he continued to disturb me, and when I could no longer bear it, I narrated what happened to my mother, who later took the matter up,” the victim stated.

The prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemi, presented four witnesses and submitted various exhibits, including statements from both victims and defendants, medical reports, and findings from the Panel of Enquiry.

In their defense, the defendants, represented by their attorney, called upon six witnesses and refuted all accusations made against them, characterizing the claims as politically motivated.

They also provided evidence to substantiate their claims of innocence.

Justice Adeniyi Familoni, upon concluding the proceedings, determined that the teachers were guilty, stating that the defendants had disregarded their moral obligations and exploited the victims without any sense of restraint.

“They deserve severe sanction for their misdeeds to serve as a warning to others who may want to follow in their footsteps.

“Therefore, Ajibola Gbenga is sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in count one without the option of a fine, and Olaofe Ayodele is sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in count two without the option of a fine. The two defendants are sentenced to two years imprisonment each in count three. The terms are to run concurrently,” the judge pronounced.