Idowu Daniel, a 31-year-old teacher, was sentenced by an Ikeja Special Offences Court, on Monday, to seven years imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old student within school premises.
The convict had been charged with defilement.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo held that the prosecution had failed to bring the charge of defilement against the defendant, as the survivor was unable to show up in court to testify.
“However, the confessional statement by the defendant, which was made voluntarily, showed that he sexually assaulted the minor.
“The defendant admitted to having fondled the breast of the victim twice and tried to have sex with her but he could not penetrate as she was a virgin.
“The defendant is hereby convicted on the charge of sexual assault of a child,” she said.
When asked if he had anything to say, the convict pleaded for mercy.
“My lord, I am very sorry for what happened. I promise it will not happen again,” the offender told the court.
The judge also lashed out at the convict for touching the survivor in a suggestive way, adding that he would have gotten life imprisonment if the minor had testified in court.
“You are a teacher and you were touching the breast of your student. You would have gone for life if the victim had come to court to testify.
The judge, who had earlier sentenced the convict to five years imprisonment, increased his jail term to seven years without an option of a fine after establishing that the accused had been in custody for three years.
