Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexu@l Violence Court in Ikeja has convicted and jailed the proprietor of Nurtured Brooks Nursery and Primary School in Ibeju-Lekki, Benson Arinze, for life for sexu@lly assaulting a six-year-old pupil.
Justice Soladoye handed down the verdict after she found Arinze guilty of a one-count charge of defil#ment brought against him by the Lagos state government.
During his trial, the prosecutor, Olanrewaju Adeoye, had told the judge that the survivor, who was a student at the school in 2022, often stayed behind after class waiting for her parents.
He claimed that Arinze and a teacher, Victor Uche Ezenwata, sexu@lly assaulted her on several occasions.
The prosecutor had also informed the court that the convict inserted his finger into the child’s vagina while the teacher engaged in indecent acts.
The child later told her mother about the abuse, prompting her to inform her father, and the case was reported to the Elemoro Police Station.
Initially, Arinze was charged together with Ezenwata under section 261 of Lagos State’s Criminal Law, 2015, for sexu@l assault by penetration of a minor.
Ezenwata faced three charges, including sexu@l ass@ult by penetration, unlawful sexual intercourse, and indecent treatment, under section 135 of the same law.
Ezenwata pleaded guilty after a plea bargain agreement with the state, and an amended charge was read to him on 27 May 2025.
He was then sentenced to 18 years in prison by Justice Soladoye.
However, throughout the trial, Arinze maintained his innocence. Still, the court found the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, especially the victim and her father, to be clear and convincing enough to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Justice Soladoye dismissed the defence witness’s testimony as self-serving and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The court also ordered that the convict’s name be added to the State’s sexual offenders register, maintained by the Lagos State Government.