On February 25, Justice Adeniyi Familoni of the Ekiti High Court in Ado Ekiti sentenced two teachers to 22 years in prison each for their involvement in the r*pe of minors.
Prosecuting attorney Kunle-Shina Adeyemi informed the court that the defendants, Gbenga Ajibola, 43, and Olaofe Ayodele, 52, were arraigned on March 2, 2022, facing three counts of r*pe and abuse of office.
The prosecution detailed that the incidents occurred in November 2019 in Ado-Ekiti, where the two men r*ped two female students, aged 17 and 15 (identities withheld).
Adeyemi emphasized that their actions violated Section 31(2) of the Child Rights Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
One of the victims testified in court, describing how Ajibola, her computer teacher, persistently harassed her during class. “On that day, he asked me to wear casual clothing and gave me N200 to wait for him at a gas station along Bank Road. Before he arrived, another classmate informed me that Mr. Olaofe had also asked her to wait there,” she recounted.
“When they arrived, we went to a hotel in the Oke-Ila area of Ado Ekiti, where I was taken to a different room where Mr. Ajibola forced me to have sexual intercourse with him. After that day, he continued to harass me until I finally told my mother, who then pursued the matter further.”
To support the case, the prosecution called four witnesses and submitted various exhibits, including the victims’ statements, medical reports, and findings from an inquiry panel. The defense attorney, Mr. Lawrence Fasanmi, presented six witnesses to support his case.
In her ruling, Justice Familoni stated that the defendants had abandoned their moral conscience and exploited the victims with impunity. She asserted that the severity of their actions warranted a harsh sentence to deter others from similar misconduct.
Consequently, the judge sentenced both defendants to 20 years in prison on counts one and two, as well as an additional two years for count two, with no option for monetary fines. The sentences will run concurrently.
