Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sitting in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced a 63-year-old cleric to life imprisonment for raping a church member’s daughter.
In a Friday statement posted on the official X handle of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (LSDVA), the cleric was sentenced on Thursday 16, of April 2026.
According to the statement, Justice Oshodi, while delivering his judgment, held that the defendant abused his position of authority and trust to exploit the victim, describing the act as a “reprehensible betrayal.”
LSDVA disclosed that the convict’s name will be entered into the Sexual Offenders Register maintained by Lagos State, in line with Sections 33 and 38 of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law, 2021.
The statement revealed that during the trial, the prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, presented five witnesses, including the victim, her mother, and a medical doctor, alongside medical and documentary evidence.
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The statement further revealed that the defendant claimed the relationship was consensual, an argument the court rejected, holding that rape was proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The defendant was convicted on three counts of rape and sentenced to life imprisonment, with sentences to run concurrently.
“The law must protect the vulnerable, and this court will not hesitate to punish abuse of trust in the strongest terms,” – Hon. Justice Oshodi.
