A former teacher and motorcycle operator at El-Bossaa Nursery and Primary School in Epe, Lagos State, Nwatu Isaac, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for defiling an eight-year-old pupil on the school premises.
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja found Isaac guilty of defilement, an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The judge held that the prosecution had established the case beyond a reasonable doubt, proving that Isaac lured the girl, whom he had previously taught, into the school’s male toilet on March 10, 2022, where he sexually assaulted her.
Justice Oshodi also ordered that Isaac’s name be entered in the Sex Offenders Register in line with the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law, 2021.
The prosecution, led by Inumidun Solarin, called five witnesses, including the survivor, her mother, police investigators, and a medical doctor from the Mirabel Centre.
Pupil recounts assault in court
The survivor, who was nine years old when she testified, told the court that Isaac, whom she knew as “Master Isaac”, instructed her to go to the male toilet to fetch a piece of paper.
She said that after she entered the toilet, Isaac pushed her inside, locked the door, and sexually assaulted her.
According to the child, Isaac threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the incident.
She further testified that she bled during the assault and that Isaac wiped the blood before allowing her to leave the toilet.
The girl’s mother later noticed blood on her daughter’s underwear and genital area after she returned home from school, prompting her to report the matter.
Medical evidence was subsequently presented before the court.
Dr Olubukola Olatunji, a medical doctor with the Mirabel Centre, testified about the findings from the child’s examination, which the prosecution said were consistent with penile penetration.
Court rejects defendant’s alibi
Isaac, through his counsel, Anthony Agadah, denied committing the offence.
The defence called eight witnesses and maintained that the defendant was not at the school on the day of the incident.
Justice Oshodi, however, rejected the defence’s account, pointing to inconsistencies in the evidence presented by its witnesses.
The judge also noted that Isaac’s own testimony placed him at the school around the material time.
Justice Oshodi held that the child’s testimony was credible and sufficiently supported by other evidence presented before the court.
In imposing the life sentence, the judge emphasised the seriousness of the offence and the breach of trust involved.
He noted that the victim knew Isaac as a teacher and trusted him, but that he exploited the trust to lure her into the toilet and sexually assault her.
The court also considered the alleged threat made to the child after the assault and the convict’s lack of remorse in determining the sentence.
Court orders protection for victim, family
The proceedings took another turn after the victim’s mother, through the prosecution, raised concerns over alleged intimidation of her and her daughter by some staff members of El-Bossaa Nursery and Primary School in and around Epe.
Justice Oshodi subsequently directed the prosecution to take immediate steps under the Victim Assistance and Witness Protection Law, 2022, to ensure the safety and protection of the survivor and her family.
The court also ordered that the necessary support be provided to the victim and her family.
