In a solemn ruling delivered on a Monday at the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja, justice was served as Eze Chukwuma, a 59-year-old artisan, faced the consequences of his abhorrent actions. Chukwuma was sentenced to a life behind bars, twice over, for the horrifying crime of sexually abusing his own daughters for a period spanning nine agonizing years.
Justice Abiola Soladoye, the unwavering arbiter of justice, meticulously examined the prosecution’s case and found it to be irrefutably substantial. She held that the evidence presented by the prosecution overwhelmingly supported the two counts related to the grievous offense of defilement against Chukwuma.
Judge Soladoye emphasized the critical convergence of testimonies, with the accounts of prosecution witnesses resonating starkly with those of the courageous victims. Moreover, she highlighted the invaluable role played by meticulously collected and documented evidence, underscoring the pivotal moment when the convict, under cross-examination, admitted to the grave crime of violating his own daughters.
Justice Soladoye’s sense of bewilderment and disdain was palpable as she delved into the sordid details of Chukwuma’s incestuous relationship with his own daughters, an abhorrent chapter that began in the wake of his wife’s tragic demise in 2008.
“The survivors laid bare the chilling truth before this court, revealing that their biological father subjected them to unspeakable horrors following their mother’s death during childbirth. The elder daughter, merely nine years old at the time, courageously confided in their kinsmen about their father’s sinister acts, but alas, no action was taken to shield them from their tormentor. They eventually returned to Lagos, and the younger child, having witnessed her sister’s escape from home due to unbearable assault, summoned the courage to report the abuse to her school authorities,” lamented Justice Soladoye.
The judge recounted how the school promptly alerted the Lagos State Ministry of Education and engaged the services of social workers, leading to Chukwuma’s apprehension and the eventual placement of the survivors in an orphanage.
“Even more disturbingly, the defendant, in a shocking twist, acknowledged his guilt and expressed remorse, a fact reflected in his statement, designated as Exhibit A. Such depravity exhibited by a parent warrants nothing less than a lifetime of confinement, as his actions bring shame upon humanity,” she declared.
Justice Soladoye delivered her verdict unequivocally, finding Chukwuma guilty as charged and imposing life imprisonment for each of the two charges. Furthermore, she ordered the registration of the convict’s name in the Sexual Offences Register of Lagos State, ensuring that his crime would forever be documented and monitored.
In closing, the judge commended the survivors for their extraordinary courage in coming forward and lauded the school authorities for their swift response in reporting the abuse to the relevant authorities.
Throughout the trial, Lagos State counsel, Mrs. Olufunke Adegoke, presented a compelling case supported by five witnesses, while the convict testified as the sole witness. Adegoke’s presentation persuasively established that Chukwuma had committed these horrifying offenses between 2008 and 2017 at No. 2, Agbeke Street, by Iyana-Era Bus-stop, Ijanikin, Lagos State.
