By Adeyinka Adeniran
An Oyo state High Court has sentenced a middle aged man, Idris Rasheed to 12years imprisonment for having an unlawful and forcefull carnal knowledge of one Tawakalitu Olayiwola, a woman in Pudah (popularlu called Eleha in Yoruba)
The sentencing followed an appeal by the Counsel to the defendant, Mr O. A Ekundayo who urged the court to tender justice with mercy, saying the defendant has learnt his lessons in a hardway.
He had also pleaded with the court to give the defendant another chance in life considering his young age.
But, after the close of the trial, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, presiding over Court 10 of the Oyo State High Court, Ring Road, Ibadan had adjourned the matter for adoption of the final written address of counsel which were subsequently adopted.
In proof of its case against the defendant during the trial, the Prosecution led by Mrs K.K. Oloso-Olayiwola (Deputy Director-Public Prosecution, Oyo State Ministry of Justice), Mr S.A. Osuolale (Senior State Counsel) and Ms O A. Shobande (State Counsel), called three witnesses, including the victim, Tawakalitu Olayiwola, Inspector Alaga Jelili of the Testing Ground, Agodi Ibadan Police Station and Woman/ASP Afolabi Kehinde.
The Prosecution also tendered in evidence the confessional statements of the defendant, underwear of the victim, shirt and slippers of the defendant, as well as the medical report of the test conducted on the victim which shows deposits of semens in her private part at the time of the incident.
The defendant testified in person at the trial and tendered no exhibit.
When the matter came up for judgement on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, Justice Ajayi said the Prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt by the direct evidences of the victim, the confessional statements of the defendant and circumstantial evidence depicted by the medical report which confirmed the deposit of semen in the private part of the victim
Rasheed began his journey to the prison when on January 28th, 2023, at about 10PM, Tawakalitu Olayiwola, a woman in Pudah (Eleha) got stranded at Abayomi Area, Iwo road, Ibadan and was not able to proceed on a journey to her destination.
Being a Muslim, Tawakalitu then thought of passing the night in any available mosque in the area, which made her approached the defendant, Idris Rasheed by greeting him in the Islamic way, and to which the defendant answered.
The victim (Tawakalitu) then begged the defendant to guide her to the nearest mosque in the area.
Under the pretence of taking her to a mosque, the defendant lured the victim to a desolate place where he forcefully had unlawful carnal knowledge of the victim, without her consent despite the pleadings and begging of the victim to consider her status as a woman in pudah.
The defendant was arrested by the people in the area after the woman escaped from the dilapidated house where he dragged her to after the unlawful act.
The defendant was subsequently handed over to the police at Testing Ground, Agodi before he was transferred to State C.I.D, Iyaganku, Ibadan for further investigation.
The defendant was subsequently charged to court where he was eventually found guilty and sentenced accordingly.
