By Olamide Olakanse
Justice Rahman Oshodi of an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court has sentenced a teacher, David Oddion a Social Studies teacher at a private school, to life imprisonment for the sexual assault of an eight-year-old student (names withheld).
Justice Oshodi convicted Oddion of a two-count charge offence brought against him by the state.
The convict was sentenced for life for sexual assault by penetration and got a seven-year sentence for the indecent treatment of a child.
The judge said both sentences are to run concurrently starting from the date of his arrest on February 8, 2021.
The judge also ordered that the convict’s name be written in the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register.
The incident, which happened at Hilltop Grade International School (HGIS), Agungi Road, Lekki, Lagos came into the open when the victim, a Grade 3 pupil, informed her mother, that her teacher was “weird.”
Upon further questioning, the child revealed a pattern of abuse, stating that the defendant had touched her private parts more than 10 times.
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The incident led to the arrest of the convict who was a Social Studies teacher in the school, by the police.
During trial, the court heard that Oddion had set aside the exam scripts of five students who failed, calling them into his classroom one by one for corrections.
The court heard that the victim was the third student called and that after the other students had gone home, the defendant remained alone with the victim, during which time point he penetrated her with his finger.
The court heard that the convict removed her underwear, touched her, kissed her on the forehead and cheeks, and hugged her before her mother arrived to pick her up at about 3:00 pm.
Following the child’s disclosure, her mother confronted the school’s head teacher, Mrs. Linda.
The court heard that the defendant initially denied the allegations, but his account was inconsistent.
After the school head advised him that only the truth would set him free, the convict confessed to the acts.
The court was told that this led to his immediate arrest and a subsequent medical examination of the survivor at a private hospital by Dr. Makanjuola, who also testified as a witness in the matter.
During the trial, the prosecution team, I.E. Sholarin, S.O. Adesina, and I.E. Balogun, argued that the evidence against the defendant was overwhelming.
Delivering judgment in the matter, Justice Oshodi noted that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge remarked on the defendant’s position as a mentor and trainer, stating that parents entrust their children to teachers and that such a gross violation of trust was unacceptable. The judge also observed that the defendant had shown no remorse throughout the proceedings.
The defense counsel, H.O. Ndubuisi, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that the defendant was a student at an Open University and a first-time offender.
However, Justice Oshodi maintained that the law must take its course to serve as a deterrent to others and subsequently sentenced him to life imprisonment.
