Man sentenced to 21 years imprisonment for defiling church member's 6-year-old daughter 12 times

An Ikeja High Court, Lagos State, on Thursday, sentenced a 27-year-old trader, Chidi Ibiam, to 21 years imprisonment for defiling a six-year-old girl.

Ibiam, who lives in Baruwa Area of Ipaja, Lagos, was found guilty of a charge of defilement filed before Justice Sedoten Ogunsanya.

"I have noted before me all the relevant facts of this case; the defendant is hereby found guilty of the crime of defilement and is sentenced to 21 years in prison," Ogunsanya said.

During the trial, the prosecution, led by Mr Adebayo Haroun, a state counsel, told the court that Ibiam committed the offence on December 15, 2012.

Haroun said that the convict was caught after the victim reported the defilement to her mother.

According to the prosecution, the convict is well known to the victim's family as he is a neighbour and a church member.

The girl, in her testimony, told the court that the defendant had unlawful carnal knowledge of her on 12 different occasions, in a shop and in a neighbour's house.

"He used to give me garri and money, then he would ask me to sit on his laps before he would start touching me," she said.

The victim also referred to Ibiam's genitals as "tom tom" throughout her testimony.

Ogunsanya, who noted this fact in her judgment, admonished parents to start teaching their children the rightful names of male and female genitals.

"Parents should teach their children the right names of genitals and give them proper sex education," she said.

Another prosecution witness, Dr Adefunke Adeoye of Orile-Agege General Hospital, told the court that when she conducted a vaginal examination on the victim, she found evidence of sexual assault and broken hymen.

Credit: Nigerian Tribune