Isah Mustapha, an Islamic preacher, was given a life sentence by the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja for abusing an eight-year-old child sexually.

The eight-year-old victim testified in court during the trial before Judge H.O. Oshodi that the man had sexual relations with her in his home in 2017 while her mum sent her on an errand. She noted that Mustapha had called her on her way back home.

She said that the defendant contacted her back while he was on his way to their apartment, asking her to go to her mother and get some onions for him. She said that she then went upstairs to gather the onions her mother had given her so she could give them to the defendant downstairs.

The girl said that after giving Mustapha the onions, she was going to head home when the cleric called and said he still needed to send her on an errand.

According to her, he invited her into his home, but she declined. She eventually went in to prevent him from telling her father that she was disrespectful to him. He then suggested that she takes off her underwear, but she refused.

She said that later on, she removed it by himself and undressed himself as well, after which he “slept on her”.

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“He put his private parts inside me and had sex with me” she stated.

When the victim’s mother was ready to wash the little girl’s clothes and noticed bloodstains on them, she realized the hideous event.

Since her client was apparently a first-time offender, the defense attorney, M.O. Ifarinde, urged with the sitting court to balance justice with mercy.

However, the prosecutor’s attorney, B.T. Boye, pleaded with the judge to sentence the offender to the maximum term in order to discourage future offenders.

The culprit was given a life sentence after taking into account the defense and prosecution’s arguments.