The Lagos state sexual offences and domestic violence court in Ikeja on Wednesday, January 28, sentenced a security guard, Emmanuel Buchi, to life imprisonment for raping a 37-year-old nurse at Awoyaya, Ibeju-Lekki.
The incident occurred on November 27, 2021, at Greensprings School, where both Buchi and the nurse were employed.
Justice Rahman Oshodi held that the Lagos state government had proven charges of rape and assault occasioning harm against Buchi beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge described Buchi as a pathological liar whose claims of consent by the survivor were unsubstantiated.
He noted that Buchi showed no remorse and that the circumstances of the offence, including threats against the victim during the assault, were deeply troubling.
Justice Oshodi said the survivor’s evidence was clear, consistent, credible, and convincing, while that of Buchi was unreliable and tainted with lies.
He added that her account was corroborated by two other prosecution witnesses and supported by medical evidence, which revealed bruises on her inner thigh and discolouration on her left eye.
According to court records, Buchi abused his position as a security guard, abandoning his duty post to enter the school clinic without authorization.
The judge explained that he used force, pressing the victim’s hands down, grabbing her legs, and stamping on her with his boots.
During cross-examination, Buchi admitted misinterpreting the victim’s refusal as consent.
Buchi’s defence claim that the victim was his girlfriend was contradicted by statements he made to the police.
The prosecuting counsel, Babajide Boye, called three witnesses who provided compelling evidence, while Buchi testified as the sole witness in his defence.
The offences contravene sections 173 and 258 of the criminal law of Lagos state, 2015.
The court emphasized the lasting psychological impact of the assault, stating that beyond physical injuries, the victim would carry emotional scars of the violation.
Buchi was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and three years’ imprisonment for assault occasioning harm, with the sentences running concurrently.
His name was also ordered to be registered in the Lagos state sexual offences register.
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