Former Teacher Sentenced to Life for Assaulting 8-Year-Old Pupil
A former teacher and motorcycle operator at El-Bossaa Nursery and Primary School in Epe, Lagos State, Nwatu Isaac, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old pupil on the school premises.
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja handed down the sentence after finding Isaac guilty of defilement, an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The court found that Isaac, who had previously taught the child, lured her into the school’s male toilet on March 10, 2022, where he had sexual intercourse with her.
Justice Oshodi held that the prosecution established the case against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt, relying on the evidence presented during the trial.
The prosecution, led by Inumidun Solarin, called five witnesses, including the child, her mother, police investigators and a medical doctor from the Mirabel Centre.
The survivor, who was nine years old when she testified, told the court that she knew Isaac as “Master Isaac” and that he sent her to the male toilet to retrieve a piece of paper.
She said that after she entered the toilet, Isaac pushed her inside, locked the door and sexually assaulted her. According to her testimony, he threatened to kill her if she told anyone about what had happened.
The girl also told the court that she began bleeding after the assault and that Isaac wiped the blood before allowing her to leave the toilet.
The incident later came to light after her mother noticed blood on the child’s underwear and around her genital area when she returned from school.
The mother subsequently reported the matter, leading to an investigation and the eventual prosecution of Isaac.
Medical evidence was also presented during the trial. Dr Olubukola Olatunji of the Mirabel Centre told the court about the findings from the examination conducted on the child, which the prosecution said were consistent with penile penetration.
Isaac, through his lawyer, Anthony Agadah, denied committing the offence. The defence called eight witnesses and argued that the defendant was not at the school on the day the incident was alleged to have occurred.
Justice Oshodi, however, rejected the defence’s version of events, pointing to inconsistencies in the accounts given by its witnesses.
The judge further observed that Isaac’s own testimony placed him at the school around the time of the alleged offence.
Justice Oshodi found the child’s evidence credible and held that it was supported by other evidence presented before the court.
While imposing the life sentence, the judge considered the seriousness of the offence and the breach of trust involved in the case.
The court noted that the child knew Isaac as a teacher and trusted him, a position the judge said he exploited to gain access to her and lure her into the toilet.
Justice Oshodi also considered the threat allegedly issued to the child after the assault and the absence of remorse on the part of the convict.
In addition to the prison sentence, the judge ordered that Isaac’s name be placed on the Sex Offenders Register in line with the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law, 2021.
The case also raised concerns about the safety of the survivor and her family after the girl’s mother, through the prosecution, alleged that some staff members of El-Bossaa Nursery and Primary School had intimidated her and her daughter in and around Epe.
Following the complaint, Justice Oshodi directed the prosecution to take immediate steps under the Victim Assistance and Witness Protection Law, 2022, to secure protection and appropriate support for the survivor and her family.
