An Ikeja Sexual offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday sentenced a 51-year-old cleric, Nduka Anyanwu, to double life imprisonment for defiling and impregnating two biological sisters in a church complex.
The Tide source reports that Justice Abiola Soladoye convicted the Lagos-based pastor of impregnating a 13-year-old and a 17-year-old, both of whom have been delivered of babies.
Soladoye held that evidence of prosecution witnesses were believable and consistent.
She described the convict as morally-bankrupt.
The judge said that the police ought to have charged the parents of the victims/survivors alongside the convict.
She described the parents as irresponsible, saying that they encouraged the survivors to get defiled by the defendant.
“On several occasions, one of the survivors went back to the parents to complain about the conduct of the defendant. She was beaten and sent back to the defendant’s home.
“The prosecution has proved the ingredients of the offences against the morally-bankrupt defendant,” she said.
The judge held that the cleric should have his name written in the state’s Sexual Offenders Register.
According to Lagos State Government, Anyanwu committed the offences on Aug. 3, 2020, on Arowojobe St., Oshodi, Lagos State.
The prosecution team – Mr Olusola Soneye, Mrs Olufunke Adegoke and Ms Abimbola Adegoke – called five witnesses.
The witnesses are the survivors, their parents and a social worker.
The convict testified as the sole defence witness.
According to prosecution, Anyanwu defiled and impregnated the sisters on the pretext of holding prayer sessions with them.

Network of Women with Disabilities (NWD), Tuesday, have demanded for inclusion in the electoral process at all levels and access to polling units nationwide.
The network, in collaboration with the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative(WRAPA) made the call during a walk and presentation of the charter of demand for women with disability to the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja.
Hajiya Zainab Abdulrasheed, Programme Officer WRAPA, said the removal of any physical barrier faced by PWDs during election day and in the electoral processes would enable them vote in line with Nigeria’s polling system.
Abdulrasheed, stressed the need for election management bodies and other stakeholders to protects the rights of women and PWDs, urging them to include them in the implementation of electoral processes in Nigeria.
“Part of it is ensuring polling units are accessible for PWDs and be able to participate meaningfully during election to exercise their franchise or voting candidates of their choice.
“ And not be intimidated because inaccessibility of polling units can deter prospective voters from exercising their franchise.
“And this is the right time to promote PWDs especially women in the 2023 election and beyond.”
According to her, the rally exercise was to create more awareness and promote the rights and inclusion of PWDs in the forthcoming election.
She added that an abridged version of a charter of demands that spells out what the provisions of the laws of Nigeria in disabilities rights are pertaining to the PWDs, particularly women in the forthcoming elections was also launched to make their demands known.
“We came to create awareness on this purpose for all stakeholders to come on board and ensure that the forthcoming 2023 election and beyond have to be very inclusive of women with disabilities.
“ And to ensure that their rights are not infringed upon.
“ They should not be discriminated for any reasons, they should be part of any development and governance in any society where they may exist.
“That is why we are here for people to know that they have a rights to vote and be voted for.
“ This activity came at the right time towards the 2023 election, where we know that polling is about to take place and we hope INEC has put in place resources to ensure inclusiveness for PWDs and others alike,” she said.
Also, Ms Rose Daniels, Vice President, decried that women with disability have been relegated to the background in every sector, stressing the need for inclusion, which would empower them and contribute to national development.
“We want to be heard, To be included in the political sphere, we have capable women with disability who can run for offices and be voted for, to be in the parliament.
“We are demanding for our 10 per cent quota which I believe is not too much, to have our space in the national polity,” she said.
On her part, Ms Godiya John, Media and Communication Officer NWD, FCT Chapter, reiterated the need for inclusion of women with disability in all the affairs of the government, adding their right to inclusion should not be denied.
“All we are asking is inclusion in politics, governance, health, education. We are asking of inclusion, our rights to vote, rights to be voted for, rights to education, rights to gainful employment.
“We want government to include us in politics, we want them to know that there is so much ability in us, so much we can contribute to the political sphere of the government.
“ So, we are asking for inclusion, women generally are asking for just 35 per cent, but we are asking for only 10 per cent from government.
“When you empower a woman with disabilities, you empower the nation because most are mothers.
“We have been discriminated and abandoned, but when we are empowered it will go along way in the contribution of the development of the country,” she said.
Responding, Representative of the Ministry of Justice, Winifred Oyekunle, assured the group that issues tabled will be presented to the relevant authorities with a follow up action.
Oyekunle said, “be assured that your issues are always considered as your interest will be protected.
“The Attorney General will do his best as your message will get across and you will be happy with his decision,” she said. (NAN)

A Port Harcourt based lawyer and human rights crusader, Mr. Chinonye Okoha has called on law enforcement agents to live up to their billings by ensuring free and fair election come February 25, 2025 and subsequent elections.
Mr. Okoha who stated this while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday, noted that it was imperative for the police and other law enforcement agents to do all in the powers to electoral malpractices in the forthcoming election in the country so that our democracy would be better for it.
He said in the past the system was bedeviled with a helluva corrupt practice that brought monsters to power who had caused pains to the nation in general.
The Port Harcourt lawyer explained that there ought to be deliberate effort on the part of government to ensure free and fair election.
He said gold should be given to those that know the value.
Mr. Okoha remarked that Nigerians were going through the most trying period in its history.
“It’s important for us to elect people who will bail the nation out of the present predicament. Inflation is biting hard, the diminishing value of the Naira and poverty are indices of a nation on precipice.”
Mr. Okoha pointed out that all hands must be on deck to bail Nigeria out of mediocrity and underdevelopment.
He said bad leadership was the bane of the nation’s economy.
He told the electorate to use the opportunity offered by 2023 general election to bring good leaders to power.
The lawyer urged the electorate to vote credible persons to power.