Driver bags life jail for raping 14-year-old girl

A driver, Blessing Kingsley, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a 14-year-old girl.

An Ondo State High court sitting in Akure, the state capital, on Monday issued the judgment after a two-year trial.

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The accused was also said to have infected the victim with Hepatitis B.

Justice Bode Adegbehingbe who gave the judgment said the weight of evidence proved without doubt that Kingsley was guilty of the one-count charge of rape.

The accused was a tricycle, Keke NAPEP, operator.

On July 12, 2018, the 14-year-old victim, on her way home from her grandmother’s shop in Ondo town, was said to have been accosted by Blessing Kingsley, a family acquaintance, who offered to take her home.

Instead, Kingsley drove her to his house under the pretext of making her greet his family and forcefully had sex with her.

A report was made at the Funmbi Fagun police station, while a medical examination confirmed she was raped and even infected with Hepatitis ‘B’ by the rapist.

Kingsley was arrested and arraigned before Justice Adegbehingbe of Ondo State High Court on a count of rape contrary to and punishable under Section 358 of the criminal laws of Ondo State 2006.

After two years of trial, Justice Adegbehingbe in his judgment said Kingsley gave weak and pitiable evidence as well as criminally exploited his familiarity with the victim despite claiming not to know her before the incident.

Justice Adegbehingbe therefore convicted Kingsley on a count charge of rape and sentenced him to life imprisonment.