A 54-year-old pastor, Michael Oliseh, was yesterday, sentenced to life imprisonment by Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court for defiling his friend’s 12-year-old twin daughters.
Justice Abiola Soladoye found the convict guilty of two-count charge bordering on defilement brought against him by the state government.
Oliseh committed the offence sometime in November 2017 in Ago, close to Okota, a suburb of Lagos State.
The prosecution said the offences violated Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
In her judgment, the judge described the convict, a so-called assistant pastor of a Lagos Church as a serial rapist, who took turns defiling his friend’s daughters.
Justice Soladoye , who said the prosecution proved the case of defilement against defendant beyond reasonable doubt, stressed that the testimony of the defendant portrayed him as a serial rapist.
“His conduct is unbecoming of a pastor. What a disloyal and untrustworthy pastor, who shamelessly and audaciously had sexual intercourse with his friend’s children who were entrusted in his care,” the court ruled.
Having been found guilty as charged with the two offences, the judge sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Justice Soladoye added that the sentences should run concurrently, while his name will be listed in the Sex Offenders Register of the Lagos State Government.
The judge also rebuked the parents of the survivors for lack of discipline by sending the survivors to stay with the convict.
“Children are not to be entrusted with randy adults. They should be kept in the hands of responsible adults who have their goodwill at heart. The need for responsible parenting cannot be overemphasized,” she added.
During trial, the prosecution counsel, Mrs. Olufunke Adegoke, had called witnesses and tendered documents that were admitted as exhibits.
The prosecutor told court that the defendant defiled the survivors after their father had entrusted them in his care and travelled to the village for a burial.
The defendant thereafter threatened the survivors that their father would become jobless if they told anyone about the sexual encounter.
Adegoke said that Oliseh was caught by a neighbour after he had pulled one of the survivors in the compound and dragged her pants.
Source: guardian news
