Cleaner bags life jail for sexually assaulting baby in church

• Published On: 25 June 2024 at 19:38

Saviour Udoh, a 27-year-old cleaner, was given a life sentence by the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Monday for his sexual assault of a five-year-old girl on church property.

Judge Ramon Oshodi ruled that the prosecution had established beyond a reasonable doubt the convict's charge of defilement and that the defendant's actions were repugnant and entitled to the harshest penalty permitted by law.

On February 5, 2020, Udoh entered a not guilty plea to a charge of sexual assault by penetration that the state had preferred against him.

Section 261 of the Lagos State 2015 Criminal Law was broken, according to prosecution attorney I.D. Solarin, by Udoh's crime.

The event happened on December 12, 2018, on the grounds of a well-known Pentecostal church in Ikeja, Lagos, according to testimony given to the court.

The sleeping youngster in the children's department was approached by Udoh, who was also employed as a cleaner at the church, who then sexually attacked her.

Udoh was taken into custody when the victim's mother informed the police about the crime.

In his ruling, Justice Oshodi stated that a serious offence had been committed.

"The confessional statement, the victim's and her mother's testimony, the IPO, and the medical evidence have all been carefully considered by the court," he stated. Given that he exploited a vulnerable child sexually, the offence he committed was serious.

The victim is still dealing with the consequences of the convict's crime, the judge said. "It is impossible to overstate the impact of your action on the victim and her family," he declared. Three years after the incident, the victim's mother testified that she continued to take daughter to the hospital and that the victim continued to receive discharges.

This claim draws attention to the child's severe physical and psychological distress.

"The victim's mother trusted you with her care; she was only five years old when the incident occurred. The most repulsive thing you did was violate that trust by abusing the youngster sexually. According to Section 261 of the Criminal Law, sexual assault by penetration is a serious felony that carries a mandatory life term in prison, the speaker said.

Saying, "I have considered other factors like the lack of previous convictions and your plea for mercy and sentencing," Justice Oshodi acknowledged the convict's request for leniency. But the aggravating variables are greater than any other situation.

He found the defendant guilty of one count of sexual assault by penetration, sentenced him to life in prison, and directed that the Lagos State Sexual Offences Registry be updated with the convict's name.


"Therefore, as required by Section 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, I now sentence you to imprisonment for life after finding you guilty of sexual assault by penetration," he declared. The Nigerian Correctional Service may assign you to a maximum security detention facility or any other location at their discretion to serve out your sentence. Additionally, your name will be included in the list of sexual offenders.