By Oyibo Salihu
Lokoja
Kogi state High Court of Justice sitting in Lokoja has sentenced Lucky Jonathan and Daniel Friday to 12 years in prison each for raping and causing bodily harms on their victim.
The convicts, who appeared before High Court 1, were charged with the offences of conspiracy, rape, voluntarily causing hurt and abetment of the offence of rape in contravention of the Penal Code.
Ruling, the presiding judge of the court, Hon. Justice Nasiru Ajanah, the Chief Judge of the state, said the offences were allegedly committed on September 11, 2015 at Otokiti village in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital.
The statement of the convicts said: “On 11/09/15 at about 21.00 hrs, I was coming from Mammy market to my house in company of Jonathan Lucky, Bidemi, Samuel, Paul and one other whom I did not know his name when we met (the victim) who used to sell yams within the area at the back of Peter Hotel.
“Samuel stopped her, while Lucky slapped her. Samuel said he is going to deal with her as (she) once stole his handset in his room. I left them to my house; when I was in my house bathing, I began to hear their voices in the bush.
“After I took my bath I trace them to the bush where I met them very close to the checking point in one block industry. I met Lucky, Samuel, Bidemi, Paul the other guy whom I did not know his name and (she was) naked on the ground.
“Samuel has already had the canal knowledge of her. It was in my front that Bidemi had sex with (her) followed by Paul before me. I was the last person that had sex with (her). Lucky and the other guy did not have sex with (her), but the other guy was holding (her) leg” said Daniel Friday
Ajanah said the accused persons did not lead any evidence to show any circumstance of involuntariness in obtaining their statement by the prosecution.
In convicting the first, the Chief Judge said he was “convinced from the plethora of evidence that the 1st accused (Lucky Jonathan) took part in encouraging and instigating the commission of the offence of rape by the 2nd accused and others at large.”
The two rapists, Jonathan and Friday, were sentenced to 12 and half years and 12 years in prison, respectively.
