Harnie Gold
Member
An Islamic cleric, Isah Mustapha, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Lagos State High Court sitting at Ikeja for defiling an eight-year-old girl in the state.
According to the testimony of the eight-year-old victim before the presiding judge, Justice H.O Oshodi at the court, the Muslim cleric had sexually abused her, in his house in the year 2017 when she was sent by her mother to run an errand.
The victim said:
“When I was about to get to our apartment, the defendant called me back saying he wanted to send me to my mother to collect onions from her and bring to him downstairs. So, I went upstairs to collect the onions, which my mother gave me to give to the defendant downstairs.
“He said I should enter his house, but I said no. I later entered so he would not tell my father that I disobeyed him. He then said I should take off my pant, but I said no. He later took it off himself and his trousers too, then he slept on me. He put his private parts inside me and had sex with me”.
The mother of the 8 year old victim, became aware of the unfortunate incident when she noticed bloodstains on the victim's pants while she was doing her laundry.
Mustapha the sex offender, admitted that he sexually abused the victim through the guise of asking her to run errands for him but, he however claimed that he only inserted his finger in her private part.
The defence counsel, M.O. Ifarinde, pleaded with the judge to be lenient with the Muslim cleric as he was a first time sex offender.
However, the judge after listening to the defence counsel and prosecuting counsel led by B.T. Boye, the judged decided to hand the Muslim cleric a life imprisonment sentence as urged by the prosecuting counsel for reason been that it will serve as deterrent to others.