By ADENIKE AYODELE

An Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court on Wednesday sentenced a 54-year-old pastor, Michael Oliseh, to life imprisonment for defiling his friend’s 12-year-old twin daughters.

Delivering judgment, Justice Abiola Soladoye, described Oliseh, the assistant Pastor of the Anointed Chosen Vessel Ministry in Okota, Lagos, as a “serial rapist” who took turns defiling his friend’s daughters.

She held that the prosecution had convincingly proved the charges of defilement against Oliseh beyond any reasonable doubt.

The judge sentenced Oliseh to life imprisonment on the two-count charge bordering on defilement.

She said, “The testimony of the defendant portrayed him as a serial rapist who took turns to defile the survivors.

“What a disloyal and untrustworthy pastor, who shamelessly and audaciously had sexual intercourse with his friend’s children who were entrusted in his care.

“His conduct is unbecoming of a pastor.

“Having been found guilty as charged with the two offences, the defendant is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment.’’

She said that the sentences should run concurrently, adding that should have his name entered in the Sex Offenders Register of the Lagos State Government.

Soladoye also berated the parents of the survivors for lack of discipline by sending the survivors to stay with the convict.

“Parents of the survivors lack discipline and ought not to have sent their children to go stay in Oliseh’s house.

“Children are not to be entrusted with rowdy adults. They should be kept in the hands of responsible adults who have their goodwill at heart.

“The need for responsible parenting cannot be overemphasized,” the judge said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that five witnesses testified at the trial and five exhibits were tendered.

According to the prosecution counsel, Mrs Olufunke Adegoke, Oliseh committed the crimes sometimes in November 2017 in Ago, near Okota, a suburb of Lagos.

Adegoke said that the defendant defiled the survivors after their father had entrusted them in his care and travelled to the village for a burial.

She said that Oliseh then threatened the survivors that their father would become jobless if they told anyone about the sexual encounter.

She also submitted that Oliseh was caught by one of the neighbours after he had chased one of the survivors in the compound and dragged her with her pant.

NAN reports that the prosecution said the offences violated Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015. (NAN)

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