By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced a 54-year-old pastor, Michael Oliseh, to life imprisonment for raping his friend’s 12-year-old twin daughters.
It was gathered that Oliseh, an assistant pastor in a pentecostal church at Okota, Lagos State, raped the minors in turns.
The victims were reportedly defiled by the defendant after their father entrusted them in his care and travelled to the village for burial.
The defendant was charged with two counts bordering on defilement, contrary to Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
Five witnesses testified at the trial and five exhibits were tendered.
The prosecution counsel, Olufunke Adegoke, said Oliseh committed the crime in Ago Palace, in Okota area of Lagos State, in November 2017.
“Oliseh threatened the survivors that their father would become jobless if they told anyone about the sexual assault,” Adegoke said.
She added that Oliseh was caught by one of the neighbours in the compound after he chased and dragged one of the girls by her pants.
Delivering judgement on Wednesday, Justice Abiola Soladoye, who described Oliseh as a serial rapist, held that the prosecution convincingly proved the charges of defilement against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.
“What a disloyal and untrustworthy pastor, who shamelessly and audaciously had sexual intercourse with his friend’s children who were entrusted in his care.
“The defendant is found guilty as charged and hereby sentenced to life imprisonment.
“The sentence should run concurrently and the defendant’s name should be entered in the Sex Offenders Register of the Lagos State Government,” Justice Soladoye said.
The judge also berated the parents of the survivors for sending them to stay with the convict.
“Parents of the survivors lack discipline and ought not to have sent their children to stay in Oliseh’s house
“Children are not to be entrusted with randy adults and should be kept in the hands of responsible adults who have their goodwill at heart,” she said.
