A High Court sitting in Ekiti State has sentenced a 33-year-old man, Oluwatuyi Bidemi to 84 years imprisonment for attempted murder of one Abiodun Agnes.
Bidemi was also convicted on four-count charges bordering on robbery, kidnapping and rape by Justice Adeniyi Familoni.
Arraigned at the court, Bidemi was accused of contravening Sections 320, 402 (1) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap.C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012, Section 2 of the Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, No 18 of 2019 and Section 3 of Ekiti State Kidnap and Terrorism (Prohibition) Law, No. 12 of 2015.
According to the prosecutor, the attempted murder victim – a civil servant – was going to the office through a bush path when she was suddenly attacked by Bidemi at about 8 am.
Agnes said the convict held her neck and dragged her into the bush where he stuffed a handkerchief into her moth before taking away her wrist watch, phone, charger, ATM Cards among others.
She added that Bidemi held her neck again causing her to pass out and by the time she regained consciousness, she found out that the defendant had raped her and shaved her armpit and private part hairs.
“At this point, he had left. I saw some people passing but I could not shout due to the cloth inserted in my mouth. I later crawled out where some passersby rescued and took me to the hospital.
“I was in the bush from 8am to 2pm. When I described the defendant, some people knew him through his identity and he was later arrested by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) in Omuo-Ekiti,” Agnes added.
Four witnesses were provided by the prosecutor with medical reports and statements that collaborated the testimonies of the victim.
Speaking on behalf of the defendant, Charles Ayobioloja, his counsel asked the court to temper justice with mercy in deciding on the matter.
In his ruling, Justice Familoni held that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the offences.
He further sentenced Bidemi to 21 years imprisonment for each of the four counts levelled against him – without any option of fine.
The judge also stated that the sentences would run concurrently with effect from the date of arrest and detention of the convict.
