Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Court sitting in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced Benson Arinze, proprietor of Nurtured Brooks Nursery and Primary School, Ibeju-Lekki, to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a six-year-old pupil under his care.
The judge found Arinze guilty of a one-count charge of defilement after a full trial. The young victim, who was in the school in 2022, routinely stayed behind after lessons waiting for her parents. Prosecutors told the court that Arinze and a teacher at the school, Victor Uche Ezenwata, repeatedly sexually assaulted the child during this period.
The prosecution revealed that Arinze inserted his finger into the girl’s vagina on several occasions while the teacher engaged in other indecent acts with her. The traumatised child eventually opened up to her mother, who informed her father. The family promptly reported the abuse to the Elemoro Police Station, triggering investigations that led to the arrest of the two men.
Arinze was initially charged alongside Ezenwata under Section 261 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015 for sexual assault by penetration of a minor. Ezenwata faced three separate charges, including sexual assault by penetration, unlawful sexual intercourse, and indecent treatment under Section 135 of the same law.
Following a plea bargain agreement with the state, Ezenwata pleaded guilty to an amended charge on 27 May 2025 and was sentenced by the same judge to 18 years in prison.
Arinze, however, maintained his innocence throughout the trial. After evaluating the evidence, Justice Soladoye found the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses especially that of the young victim and her father clear, consistent and convincing enough to establish his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The judge described the defence witness’s testimony as self-serving, convicted Arinze, and ordered that his name be entered into the Lagos State sexual offenders register.
Elijah Adeyemi
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