Man jailed 12 years for raping nine-year-old girl

An Egor Magistrates’ Court in Benin, the Edo State capital, on Monday sentenced one Eric Lelekuma to 12 years imprisonment for defiling a nine-year-old girl.

‎Lelekuma, aged 57, had been arraigned on two counts bothering on unlawful carnal knowledge and assault of the victim.

The State Counsel, Mrs O. Ewemade, had told the court that the accused committed the crime between November 20 and November 28, 2013.

Ewemade had explained that the convict unlawfully slapped the victim in her face before inserting his finger into her vagina at his residence on Ugbighoko Street, along Utagba road.

The prosecutor had noted that the offence contravened Sections 218 and 222 of the Criminal Code Cap 48 Vol. II, Laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria, 1976, as applicable in Edo.

‎Lelekuma had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of N200,000 during the trial.

But the presiding magistrate found him guilty on both counts at the end of the trial and sentenced him to 10 and two years imprisonment, respectively.

Braimoh ruled that the sentence was without an option of a fine and added that his sentence would served as deterrent to others.