Ikeja, Lagos – An Arabic teacher named Oladosu Sakiru will spend two decades behind bars after being sentenced by the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court. The teacher sentenced to 21 years following his conviction for the attempted sexual assault of a young thirteen-year-old female student.
Justice Rahman Oshodi handed down the sentence after Sakiru entered a guilty plea to amended charges. These included attempted sexual assault by penetration and indecent treatment of a child.
Guilty Plea Precedes Sentencing
Sakiru’s admission of guilt to the serious charges set the stage for his conviction and subsequent sentencing by Justice Oshodi. The case involved his actions against a minor entrusted to his guidance.
Justice Oshodi Decries Shocking Breach of Trust
In delivering the sentence, Justice Oshodi delivered stern words to Sakiru, emphasizing the profound betrayal involved. The judge pointed out the immense trust parents and the community place in figures like imams and teachers.
“As an imam and an Arabic school teacher, you occupy a position of significant trust,” Justice Oshodi stated directly to Sakiru. He elaborated that this trust wasn’t just from the victimized child, 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.” The judge’s remarks underscored the gravity before the sentenced to 21 years.
Sentence Details and Consequences
The court structured the 21years sentence to run consecutively. Sakiru received 14years for the first count (attempted sexual assault) and an additional 7 years for the second count (indecent treatment of a child).
Beyond the prison term, Sakiru’s name will be officially recorded in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register, a public record. During the proceedings, state prosecutor Ms. Bukola Okeowo argued for a sentence reflecting the crime’s seriousness. Defence counsel Mr. Nelson Onyejaka appealed for leniency, noting Sakiru was a first-time offender supporting two wives. However, the court ultimately decided the teacher sentenced to 21 years.
By Abdullah Korede
