An Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti has sentenced two men, Anu Olaniyi and Abidemi Alibaloye, to life imprisonment for gang-raping a 13-year-old girl. The court also handed them an additional two years in prison for conspiracy. The crime took place on December 28, 2020, and the convicts were arrested and charged shortly after.
During the trial, the victim recounted the traumatic incident, stating, “I was sent on an errand on December 28, 2020, when one of the convicts intercepted me and purposely directed me to his friend’s place where they both forcibly had carnal knowledge of me one after the other.” She added that she returned home in tears and immediately informed her mother, who took action leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Julius Ajibare, who represented the Ekiti State Government, noted that the crimes violated Section 421 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021, and Section 2(2)(c) of the Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) (First Amendment) Law, 2020. Ajibare presented four witnesses and submitted seven exhibits to support the case.
The defendants, represented by their counsel, Oluwafemi Alonge, testified in their defense but did not call any witnesses. In his ruling, Justice Adekunle Adeleye stated that “the prosecution proved the offence of gang-rape and conspiracy against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.”
The judge sentenced both men to life imprisonment for gang-rape and an additional two years for conspiracy, with the sentences to run concurrently. This ruling has been welcomed by advocates for gender-based violence victims, who see it as a significant step in the fight against sexual violence in the state.
