Okada Rider Bags Life Sentence over Rape in Minna, Niger State
Daily Chronicle
A convicted Okada rider Ugochukwu Unadumene, of Ekosa of Ekosa village, Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State will spent the rest of life behind bars for committing rape.
Justice Abdullahi Mika’ilu of High Court 3, Minna, Niger State handed down the life imprisonment sentence to the commercial motorcyclist for raping a female corps member, sometimes in 2018.
The police had arraigned the rapist on a two-count charge and invited eight witnesses while the convict denied the allegation.
On Friday Justice Mika’ilu held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced Unadumene accordingly. For the offence of voluntary causing hurt without provocation, Unadumene was sentenced to one year imprisonment without an option of fine. For the offence of rape, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without option of fine. “His application for allocutus was taken and refused,” the judge ruled.
The state Police Public Relations officer DSP Wasiu Abiodun, expressed satisfaction over the judgement. He said the convict was apprehended and investigated by Agaie Division and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Minna.
He said: “It would be recalled that on May 3, 2018, about 11pm, an incident of rape was reported at Agaie Division that a female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving at Lapai who was reported at Agaie Division that a female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving at Lapai who was conveyed on a motorcycle by the convict on Lapai- Agaie Road was criminally assaulted and raped by the rider after diverting into a forest.”