BY OLUGBENGA SOYELE, Lagos
The long arms of the law on Wednesday caught up with a security guard, Emmanuel Buchi, as Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja sentenced him to life imprisonment for raping a 37-year-old married nurse at a school clinic.
Justice Oshodi jailed Buchi for the rest of his life after he found him guilty of rape and assault occasioning harm, on the strength of the evidence placed before him by the prosecution.
The State Lead Counsel, Babajide Boye, had told the judge during the trial that the convict committed the offences on November 27, 2021, at Green Springs School, Awoyaya, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.
Boye, who maintained that the offences violated sections 173 and 258 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015, called three witnesses while the convict testified as the sole defence witness.
The nurse, during her testimony, told the judge that while she was on night duty at the clinic, Buchi approached her to request Vitamin C, but after she switched off the lights, he returned and then raped her.
In his judgment, Justice Oshodi described the evidence of the prosecutrix (nurse) as “clear, consistent, credible, and authentic,” while characterising that of the convict as unreliable and full of lies.
The judge added that the convict was a pathological liar whose attempts to deny the offences, “did not hold water.’’
The court also pointed out that the convict showed no remorse and continued to insist that the survivor consented to the sexual act, a claim the court firmly rejected during the trial.
He stated that the evidence of the prosecutrix was corroborated by two other prosecution witnesses, emphasising that the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment for rape reflects society’s condemnation of such crimes.
Justice Oshodi further described the circumstances of Emmanuel Buchi’s offence as deeply troubling, highlighting that the convict threatened the prosecutrix as he raped her in the school clinic.
“You were employed as a security guard at Green Springs School, Awoyaya, and your duties were to protect lives and property.
“Instead of protecting the prosecutrix, you became her assailant by abandoning your duty post on the night of November 27, 2021, entering the school clinic without authorisation, and raping her while she was alone on duty that night.
“The evidence showed that you used force and violence against the prosecutor by pressing her hands down, grabbing her legs, and using your security shoes to stomp on her legs.
“The medical examination revealed black discolouration on her left eye and bruises on the inner part of her vagina,” the judge held.
The court further noted that in his extra-judicial statement, Buchi admitted that the prosecutrix told him “leave me now,” but under cross-examination, claimed to have interpreted her refusal as consent, a position the court dismissed.
Justice Oshodi also rejected the convict’s defence that the prosecutrix was his girlfriend, describing it as a fabricated claim contradicted by his statement to the police.
“Throughout this trial, you have shown no understanding of the gravity of your actions or the harm caused. Beyond the physical injuries, the prosecutor will carry psychological scars from this violation.”
Consequently, the court sentenced Buchi to life imprisonment for rape and three years’ imprisonment for assault occasioning harm, with the sentences to run concurrently.
Justice Oshodi also ordered that the convict’s name be entered into the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.
