Lagos teacher bags life for defiling pupil - Punch Newspapers
A school teacher in Lagos, Nwatu Isaac, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for defiling an eight-year-old pupil of El-Bossaa Nursery and Primary School in Epe. According to a statement posted by the state Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency on its X page on Friday, the judgment was delivered on Tuesday by Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, sitting in Ikeja. The DSVA further disclosed that Isaac’s name would be registered in the Sexual Offenders Register maintained by Lagos State, in line with Sections 33 and 38 of the Lagos State DSVA Law, 2021. The statement read, “The judge delivered the judgment on Tuesday, 29th September 2026, after finding Isaac guilty of defiling the child on 10th March 2022. In his judgment, Justice Oshodi held that the prosecution had proved the offence beyond reasonable doubt, establishing that the survivor was a child and that Isaac had sexual intercourse with her. “The court found the testimony of the survivor, who was nine years old when she testified, credible and consistent. She identified Isaac in court and gave a clear account of how he, whom she knew as ‘Master Isaac,’ took her into the school toilet and sexually assaulted her.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google “Justice Oshodi also relied on the evidence of the survivor’s mother, who noticed blood on her daughter’s underwear and vagina shortly after she returned home from school, as well as medical evidence from the Mirabel Centre which corroborated the evidence of penetration.” According to the agency, the court rejected Isaac’s denial that he went beyond the school gate on the day of the incident, noting that his own evidence placed him at the school at the material time, while the survivor identified him as the person who took her into the toilet. The court also rejected his defence of alibi, “as well as suggestions that the survivor could have been sexually abused by her stepsister or that the school toilet was too small for the offence to have occurred.” Drunken policeman’s bullet ended my promising career – Ex-Papa Ajasco videographer Lagos varsities face shutdown as four unions declare strike Ex-Davis Cup star unveils N30m tennis championship “During sentencing, the judge held that Isaac had abused the trust placed in him by the survivor and her family, noting that he was once her teacher and was also entrusted by parents in the community to transport their children. “The judge further directed the prosecution to take immediate steps under the Victim Assistance and Witness Protection Law, 2022, to secure whatever protection and support the survivor and her family require. Isaac was prosecuted under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, which prescribes life imprisonment for anyone who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a child,” it added. Last month, during the National Convening for Gender-Based Violence State Coordinators in Lagos, the state government unveiled a GBV Prevention Policy as part of its efforts to prevent domestic and sexual violence. The Executive Secretary of DSVA, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, had said, “We have done quite a lot in terms of response; we are ensuring that perpetrators are prosecuted and survivors are able to access justice. But we also need to start asking the questions: Why is it happening, and what can we do as responsible citizens to prevent it from happening? “So, we thought it was important to codify our prevention tools into a policy document, putting the spotlight on prevention measures,” Vivour-Adeniyi said. Victor Ayeni Victor is a Senior Correspondent at Punch Newspapers’ Features Desk with over ten years of experience as a writer and blogger. He has reported on a wide range of topics, including Lagos State Government affairs and Lagos politics, blending in-depth research with engaging storytelling. Victor’s work demonstrates hands-on newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a dedication to clear, accurate, and compelling journalism.
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