A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has convicted and sentenced a 25-year-old man, Jerry Njoku, to seven years in prison with hard labour for defiling a 10-year-old girl.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, the trial judge, Justice Rita Oguguo, also ordered the convict to pay N5 million to the family of the minor for her upkeep.
Justice Oguguo held that the prosecution had proved the case of defilement against the convict, Jerry Njoku, and sentenced him to seven years with hard labour. The sentence is to run concurrently, alongside a fine of N5 million to be paid to the victim’s family.
PUNCH Online reports that while the defence counsel declined to comment on the judgment, the prosecution counsel, Precious Ordu, a Chief State Counsel in the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, described the judgment as a welcome development. Related News Three remanded for stealing, selling government insecticide-treated nets Army probes assault of UNIOSUN students by soldiers Gunmen kill two policemen, injure another in Rivers
Ordu said the judgment was justice for the state, the victim and the convict, insisting that it would serve as a deterrent to those planning to engage in such acts.
