Arabic Teacher Sentenced to 21 Years for Attempted Sexual Assault of 13-Year-Old Pupil in Lagos

The Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, on Tuesday, sentenced an Arabic teacher, Oladosu Sakiru, to 21 years in prison for attempting to sexually assault a 13-year-old female pupil.

Justice Rahman Oshodi sentenced Sakiru after he pleaded guilty to amended charges of attempted sexual assault by penetration and indecent treatment of a child.

In delivering the judgment, Justice Oshodi condemned the convict for violating the trust placed in him by the survivor’s parents, who had enrolled their child in his Islamic school.

The judge further stated that the evidence presented in court revealed a pattern of predatory behavior, as Sakiru had subjected the survivor to inappropriate touching and attempted to force himself on her.

Justice Rahman Oshodi noted during the judgment that when confronted with his actions, the convict resorted to the common excuse, saying, “It was the work of the devil.”

Justice Rahman Oshodi emphasized that religious leaders and teachers, like the convict, occupy a revered and trusted position within society. He stated that when such individuals violate this trust by preying upon vulnerable children, it becomes the court’s duty to respond with stringent measures.

This response, he explained, serves not only to reflect society’s strong condemnation of such actions but also to deter others from engaging in similar reprehensible behavior.

“As an imam and an Arabic school teacher, you occupy a position of significant trust, that trust extended not only to the 13-year-old child, the one you victimised but also to her parents and the entire community who look to you for spiritual and moral guidance. You betrayed this trust in the most deplorable manner,” he said.

However, the court sentenced Sakiru to 14 years in prison on count one and seven years on count two, with both sentences to run consecutively. Justice Oshodi also ordered that the convict’s name be added to the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.

Earlier, the defense counsel, Mr. Nelson Onyejaka, in his allocution, urged the court to show mercy, emphasizing that the convict was a first-time offender with two wives to support. He requested leniency in sentencing.

However, the state prosecution counsel, Ms. Bukola Okeowo, urged the court to impose a sentence in line with the severity of the crime.

Okeowo informed the court that the offences were committed between February and March 2022, on Odusanmi Street, Mushin, Lagos. The convict had initially pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned on March 17, 2023.

During the trial, the prosecution presented two witnesses—the survivor and her father—who provided compelling evidence against the convict.

However, on September 6, 2024, the prosecution informed the court that the convict had opted for a plea bargain, leading to the amended charge. The offences committed were said to violate Sections 135 and 262 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.