A 25-year-old graphic designer, Abodurin Apelogun, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a seven-year-old girl during the COVID-19 lockdown in Lagos.
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court delivered the verdict after finding Apelogun guilty of one count of defilement brought by the Lagos State Government.
According to court records, the offence occurred on June 19, 2020, at 48A Oil Mill Street, Lagos Island, where the convict, a neighbour of the victim’s family, had unlawful sexual intercourse with the minor—an offence contrary to Section 137 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2015.
Apelogun, who pleaded not guilty when first arraigned on October 7, 2020, and again on May 29, 2025, was found guilty following testimonies from seven prosecution witnesses, including the survivor and her father.
The survivor told the court that the defendant often came to their apartment when her parents were away and assaulted her in the kitchen. Her father later discovered the abuse after questioning his children and promptly reported the matter to the Lion Building Police Station. The victim was examined at Island Maternity Hospital and the Mirabel Centre, where medical evidence confirmed penetration.
Justice Oshodi held that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt, noting the consistency of the survivor’s testimony and corroborating medical findings.
“The survivor’s evidence was clear and credible. The defendant showed no remorse, and his actions have caused deep trauma to a child,” the judge ruled.
He sentenced Apelogun to life imprisonment and ordered that his name be entered in the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register. The convict was further directed to be remanded in a maximum correctional facility.
