Judicial Verdict and Sentencing

The Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court sitting at the High Court of Awka, Anambra State, has sentenced a 27-year-old final-year Mass Communication student, Wisdom Edem, to a total of 35 years imprisonment. The conviction follows charges of raping, sexually abusing, and inflicting physical injury on a 10-year-old girl.

Justice Peace Otti, who presided over the case (Charge No. A/3C/2024: The State vs. Wisdom Edem), convicted Edem on a three-count charge. The total sentence includes 25 years for rape, five years for sexual abuse, and five years for the injury caused to the minor.

Details of the Assault and Ruse

The case centered on allegations that Edem lured the 10-year-old victim to his residence under the guise of participating in a comedy skit. According to the court proceedings, the victim had previously participated in skits with the defendant and others, which led her to trust him and accompany him to his residence alongside her younger sister.

Upon their arrival, Edem allegedly sent the younger sister away to fetch a change of clothes for the victim. He then directed the 10-year-old to enter his room, claiming that other people were waiting for her inside. The victim testified that she found nobody in the room, after which Edem locked the door and sexually assaulted her. The child reported that she began bleeding following the incident.

Medical Evidence and Court Findings

A medical doctor who examined the victim on the day of the incident testified before the court, confirming that she had sustained physical injuries and was bleeding. In his defense, Edem denied the allegations and claimed that the child had seduced him. He further alleged that the girl told him she was 14 years old and had a boyfriend.

Justice Otti rejected the defendant's account, emphasizing that a child is not legally capable of giving consent. The court held that the law does not recognize the alleged consent of a child in such circumstances and noted that the act appeared to be premeditated and carefully planned. The judge also highlighted that the defendant was not paying the child for her participation in the purported comedy skits prior to the offense.

Compensation and Bench Warrant

In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered Edem to pay N200,000 as compensation to the victim for the physical injury inflicted upon her. The judgment brings the total custodial sentence for the offences to 35 years.

Although the defendant had been granted bail during the trial and was present for previous proceedings, he was absent when the judgment was delivered. Consequently, Justice Otti issued a bench warrant for Edem's arrest and ordered that he be declared wanted by the authorities.