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An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday sentenced a herbalist, Segun Shina, to 14 years in prison for attempting to sexually assault a 10-year-old girl suffering from epilepsy.
Justice Rahman Oshodi delivered the sentence after Shina pleaded guilty to an amended charge of attempted sexual assault.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Shina had initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea as part of a plea bargain agreement.
Justice Oshodi ruled that the evidence before the court, along with Shina’s voluntary plea, proved his guilt.
“The charge you originally faced carried a life sentence,” Oshodi stated. “You exploited a child seeking help for epilepsy and betrayed the trust placed in you as a traditional healer.”
While considering the plea for leniency, Oshodi sentenced Shina to 14 years, with the term commencing from 16 November 2018, the date of his arrest.
The court also ordered his family to ensure his rehabilitation upon release and barred him from any contact with the survivor’s family. Additionally, his name will be placed on the sex offenders’ register.
Shina was initially arraigned for defilement by the Lagos State Government on April 4, 2021. The prosecution, led by state counsel Ms Bukola Okeowo, presented evidence and testimony from the survivor’s mother and an investigative officer.
The mother recounted how she had taken her epileptic daughter to Shina for treatment, only for him to exploit the vulnerable child.
The prosecution stated that the offence violated Section 262 of the Lagos State Criminal Laws, 2015.
