An alumnus of the University of Lagos, John Otema, was on Monday sentenced to 50-years imprisonment for raping a 19-year-old student of the institution on campus.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), 34-year-old Otema, a quantity surveyor and facilities manager, was charged before Justice Abiola Soladoye of Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on three counts of rape and assault occasioning harm on two female students.
Otema was found guilty on two-counts of rape and assault occasioning harm in respect of the rape of the 19-year-old student (names withheld) and was, however, found not guilty on a charge of raping a 20-year-old student of the same institution.
The judge sentenced him to 50-years in prison for the rape and three-years in prison for the assault on the 19 year- old student with both sentences to run concurrently.
However, the judge absolved Otema of raping the 20-year student, noting that the demeanor in her testimony was mischievous and she would not have claimed that she was raped if Otema had paid her the N50, 000 agreed upon before their rendezvous.
In refusing her prayer, the judge quoted a portion of her testimony which stated, “With intention to scare him off, I asked him for N100,000 but he said he will give me N50,000.
“I gave him my account number but he did not credit my account. Friendship with benefits was the crux of our relationship.”
The judge described the 20-year old student as a game player who had embarked on a sexual frolic.
“The defendant, John Osagie Otema in respect of count-one (rape) is found not guilty as there is overwhelming evidence before the court that sexual intercourse between the defendant and PW2 (Student Y) was consensual as it was friendship with benefits,” she said.
Justice Soladoye noted that in addition to medical evidence and photographs tendered by the prosecution, the 19-year old student had also identified the defendant as her assailant who bit her back and punched her eyes.
“For count-two (rape), the defendant is found guilty and is hereby sentenced to 50-years in prison as it the evidence adduced before this court has been proved beyond reasonable doubt by the prosecution.
“With regard to count-three (assault occasioning harm) the defendant is found guilty and is hereby sentenced to three-years in prison as the prosecution has done its job diligently by proving the charge beyond reasonable doubt.”
“This State of Excellence has zero tolerance for this sort of crime and the punishment meted out to the defendant will serve as a deterrent to other sex offenders that they too will be caught and brought to justice.
“Women and girls like every other member of the society should be respected and not be turned into prey by sex maniacs,” the judge said even as decried the spate of sexual violence committed against women and girls.