JUSTICE A. O Soladoye of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court 41 High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, sentenced an Islamic cleric, Abdulsalam Salaudeen to life Imprisonment for raping a 5-year-old girl.
Information reaching Alimoshotoday states that Abdulsalam, a 43-year-old Islamic cleric in the Igando-Ikotun LCDA of Alimosho LGA in Lagos State, was arrested for allegedly raping his five-year-old Arabic school girl in the year 2019.
While giving her verdict, Justice Soladoye described Salaudeen as an unworthy clergy who must be weeded out of society to serve as a deterrence to other perpetrators of defilement to zip up and desist from assaulting minors. She also ordered that his name be registered in the Sex Offenders Register.
Prior to the police investigation, he denied the allegation but owned up to committing the crime when confronted with video evidence of him defiling the child by penetrating her anus and private parts.
Salaudeen, who is married with five children and well-respected in the community, blamed the crime on the handiwork of his enemies who he said had cast a spell on him.
Commenting on the Court’s verdict, the Executive Secretary of the Domestic and Sexual Violence agency (DSVA) Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, reiterated the government’s resolve to ensure the menace of all forms of sexual and gender-based violence cases become totally eradicated from society with the sentencing /conviction of Alfa Abdulsalam Salaudeen to life imprisonment.
In a statement, on Thursday, October 6, 2022, Vivour-Adeniyi maintained the need for parents and guardians to remain vigilant and ensure that they strengthen their relationship with their children, empower children on body safety, set boundaries, and encourage them to always speak up and speak out so that cases of child sexual abuse would be prevented.
She also urged residents to report cases as Lagos State has provided holistic care for survivors at no cost.
