An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court has sentenced John Otema, an alumnus of the University of Lagos, to 50 years imprisonment for raping a 19-year-old student of the institution on campus.
On January 17, 2018, 34-year-old Otema while in the school asked the victim for direction to Moremi Hall in the school premises where she was headed.
He compelled her to enter the car under the guise of giving her a ride, auto locked his car and drove her to the Distant Learning Institute (DLI) area.
Otema assaulted her, punched her face several times and bit her back after ordering her to undress. He also took her nude photos while having carnal knowledge of her.
According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Otema, a quantity surveyor and facilities manager, was then charged before Justice Abiola Soladoye with three counts of rape and assault occasioning harm on two female students.
He was found guilty on two-counts of rape and assault occasioning harm in respect of the rape of the 19-year-old student but was however not found guilty on a charge of raping another 20-year-old student of the institution.
Otema was sentenced 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 concurently.
In absolving Otema of raping the second student, Justice Soladoye noted that the demeanor of the student in her testimony was mischievous.
He added that she would not have claimed that she was raped if Otema had paid her the N50,000 agreed upon before their rendezvous.
The judge quoted a portion of the second student’s 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.
Justice Soladoye described her as a game player who had embarked on a sexual frolic.
In convicting Otema of rape and assault occasioning harm for the first student, Justice Soladoye noted that in addition to medical evidence and photographs tendered by the prosecution, she also identified the defendant as her assailant who bit her back and punched her eyes.
In his ruling, the Judge said;
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.
The judge decried the spate of sexual violence committed against women and girls.
