The Lagos sexual offences and domestic violence court has sentenced one Success Odigoma Ude to 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy with hearing and speech impairments.

The presiding judge, Rahman Oshodi, stated that the prosecution had proven the defendant’s sexual assault case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The youngster was sexually molested by Ude in the Ilufe neighbourhood of Ojo, Lagos, between May and August of 2021, according to the prosecution’s testimony in court.

The prosecution said the offence was contrary to the provision of section 261 of the criminal law, Ch. 17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos state, 2015.

Odigoma pleaded not guilty to the charge when he was first arraigned on February 17, 2022.

During the trial, the prosecution presented five witnesses against the defendant.

The defendant testified for himself while eight documents marked A to I were tendered as exhibits.

Giving the ruling, the presiding judge held that the victim was a young boy of 13 who could not consent to sexual activities.

The judge said he considered all the evidence presented in the case to find the defendant guilty and convicted him under section 262 of criminal law.

He held that the defendant was initially charged with the offence of sexual assault by penetration under section 261, which attracts a life sentence.

However, Oshodi said he found that the evidence established an attempt, rather than a complete offence.

Oshodi sentenced Ude to 14 years in prison and ordered that his name be registered as a sex offender.

“The term is to run from the date of your remand on September 1, 2021,” he ruled.

“This sentence sends a clear message that sexual exploitation of society’s most vulnerable members, especially children with disabilities, will be met with punishment.

“I can only hope that during your period of incarceration, you will come to appreciate the enormity of the harm you inflicted on an innocent child for your perverse gratification.”

Four people have reportedly been apprehended by the Nasarawa police command by agents posing as members of the state’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The state’s police spokesperson, Ramhan Nansel, claimed in a statement on Thursday that a Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa student had been kidnapped by fictitious EFCC agents during a robbery operation.

According to Nansel, the suspects were part of a network that engaged in robberies against polytechnic students.

“On 17/04/2024 at about 1545hrs, a distress call was received that four individuals posing as EFCC personnel, using a Toyota Corolla green in colour with registration number Abuja YAB 509 TT robbed some students of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa at Samakwe Lodge behind Government College, Nasarawa LGA and abducted one Audu Kingsley, an ND two student of the same Polytechnic,” the statement reads.

“Reacting to the unsavoury development, police operatives gave the suspects a hot chase and a roadblock was mounted at Laminga Junction to stop the suspects from escaping with the victim, but they hit the barrier and fled.

“Furthermore, police operatives at Anguwan Madugu called to mount another roadblock which the suspects sighted from a distance; they abandoned their operational vehicle and the abducted student and fled.

“Luck ran out of one of the suspects as he was caught and beaten mercilessly by an angry mob before the arrival of the police while others fled.

“The suspect was rescued by the police and rushed to Primary Health care, Laminga where he died while receiving treatment.

“The operational vehicle of the suspects was recovered and taken to the station where a search was conducted and two identification cards identifying the fleeing members of the syndicate were recovered.”

Nansel said the police conducted a follow-up investigation which led to the arrest of the remaining three suspects residing at Customs Quarters and the upmarket area of Masaka.

The police spokesperson said one iPhone 12 Promax, one Tecno Spark 5 and a fake EFCC ID card were recovered from the suspects as exhibits.

He further said the suspects confessed to the crime, adding that they had also been identified by some victims of their activities.

The senate has approved the bill on third reading that would punish drug traffickers with the death penalty.

Following Tahir Monguno, the senator from Borno North, submitting a report on behalf of the joint committees on drugs and narcotics and the judiciary, the bill was passed by the upper legislative chamber on Thursday.

Monguno stated that the nation’s battle on drugs needs to be strengthened while he was presenting the report.

After the report was presented, the senate went into the “committee of the whole” to consider clauses of the bill where some senators disagreed with the death sentence.

When put to a voice vote, Barau Jibrin, deputy senate president, gave it to the “ayes”.

Thereafter, Adams Oshiomhole, a senator representing Edo north, said the senate should be careful with any law that deals with life.

“Anything that deals with life, we should be careful,” Oshiomhole said.

Responding, Jibrin said Oshiomhole should have called for a divide.

“I’m sorry my former national chairman… you should have called for a divide, it is your right, but we have passed it,” the deputy senate president said.

Also, Akpan Ekong, senator representing Akwa Ibom south, tried to come under “personal explanation” to disapprove of the provision, but Jibrin ruled him out of order.

The bill, which originated from the house of representatives, will be sent to the president for assent if there are no differences between the two chambers of the national assembly.

If there are differences, the two chambers will set up a conference committee to harmonise the grey areas before it is sent for assent.

In recent times, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has been making substantial seizures of substances ranging from cannabis to opioids from suspected traffickers.