A yet-to-be identified septuagenarian has slumped and died in a High Court sitting in Oka, Ondo State.
The court was yet to commence sitting when the incident occurred. Witnesses said the deceased was in court to stand as a witness in a case involving his friend.
A staff member of the court, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “The man was in court with his friend. And, suddenly, he stood up where he was seated and fell down, hitting his head on the tiles and he passed on.
“He didn’t look like someone who was sick and he did not collide with anything or anybody that we may say is the cause of his death, “he said.
Another witness, Tunde Ariyo, said policemen from the Enu-Owa Police division were called in to take the deceased to the mortuary.
Police sources at the Enu-Owa Police Division confirmed the incident and said the case had been transferred to the Homicide Section of the Police headquarters in Akure.
Meanwhile, a 17-year-old boy, Jibola Fakologbon, has been sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment for assaulting and raping a student of Ero College of Education.
Fakologbon, who was arraigned in December 2021 on two-count charges bordering on assault and rape, committed the offence at Ero via Igbara-Oke, by touching the victim’s breast and having unlawful sexual intercourse without her consent.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During trial, the prosecution led by D. G. Kayode called three witnesses and tendered six exhibits but the convict testified as a sole witness.
The victim said: “I did not know the boy. He waylaid me on my way to my house and asked for N100. l refused to give him and immediately he tried to forcefully touch my breast. While struggling with him, he hit me with a stick on the head and I was unconscious.
“He carried me with my bag to an uncompleted building, tore my underwear, and had sexual intercourse with me.”
Delivering judgment, Justice Yemi Fasanmi, held that the prosecution proved its case of indecent assault and rape against the convict beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Fasanmi stated that the victim’s testimony that the convict assaulted and had sexual intercourse with her was corroborated by medical reports and another exhibit before the court.
The judge said: “There is ample evidence before the court that the defendant forcefully touched the victim’s breast and that she was sexually penetrated by the convict.
“The evidence is believable, unassailable, and credible that the victim tried to resist the convict rigorously.”
He said the convict confessed to have touched, physically assaulted, and tore the underwear of the victim.
“It is considered an abomination and not accepted in any community in Nigeria for a man to forcefully touch the breast of a woman.
“The fact that the convict confirmed that he refused to rape the victim when he noticed the wound on her belly and exhibit 6 (medical report) which shows that the vulva of the victim in examination sustained injury, copiously corroborated that the victim was raped.
“The court found Fakologbon guilty of both crimes,” the judge held.
Fasanmi sentenced the convict to two years’ imprisonment for indecent assault and 12 years’ imprisonment for rape.
“A total of 14 years’ imprisonment shall commence from the convict’s first day in custody. The sentences shall run concurrently.”
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
