An Ikeja sexual offences and domestic violence court has sentenced John Otema, an alumnus of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), to 50-year imprisonment
An Ikeja sexual offences and domestic violence court has sentenced John Otema, an alumnus of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), to 50-year imprisonment for raping a 19-year-old student of the institution on campus.
Otema, 34, a quantity surveyor and facilities manager, was arraigned on Monday with three counts of rape and assault occasioning harm on two female students. He was found guilty on two counts of rape and assault occasioning harm in respect of the rape of the 19-year-old student (student X) but pleaded not guilty on a charge of raping a 20-year-old student (student Y) of the institution.
He bagged 50-year in prison for the rape and three-year in prison for the assault on student X with both sentences to run concurrently.
In absolving Otema of raping student Y, Abiola Soladoye, the judge, noted that the demeanour of student Y in her testimony was mischievous and she would not have claimed that she was raped if Otema had paid her the N50,000 agreed upon before their rendezvous. The judge quoted a portion of student Y’s testimony which stated that “With the intention to scare him off, I asked him for N100,000 but he said he will give me N50,000.
“I gave him my account number but he did not credit my account. Friendship with benefits was the crux of our relationship.”
The judge described student Y as a game player who had embarked on a sexual frolic.
“John Osagie Otema, the defendant, in respect of count-one (rape) is found not guilty as there is overwhelming evidence before the court that sexual intercourse between the defendant and PW2 (student Y) was consensual as it was friendship with benefits,” she said.
In convicting Otema of rape and assault occasioning harm of student X, Soladoye noted that in addition to medical evidence and photographs tendered by the prosecution, student X had also identified the defendant as her assailant who bit her back and punched her eyes.
“For count-two (rape), the defendant is found guilty and is hereby sentenced to 50 years in prison as it the evidence adduced before this court has been proved beyond reasonable doubt by the prosecution,” she held.
“With regard to count-three (assault occasioning harm) the defendant is found guilty and is hereby sentenced to three years in prison as the prosecution has done its job diligently by proving the charge beyond reasonable doubt.”
The judge, who decried the spate of sexual violence committed against women and girls, said the development will serve as a deterrent to others. Fred Onyeka, the defence counsel, had earlier in his plea for mercy, said Otema is a young man with aged parents who also had his whole life ahead of him.
Otema had during the trial denied committing the offences charged against him.
Arinola Momoh-Ayokanbi, who led the prosecution team, however, said the defendant had sexual intercourse with student Y without her consent on January 31, 2018 at his home at No. 6, Ajileye St., Bariga, Lagos. The prosecution claimed that earlier that month, Otema had raped student X within the premises of the institution.
