The
victim, according to reports, was walking along Safuratu Yakubu Way, Ayobo,
around 4pm on August 28 when the convict, said to be ‘high’ on cannabis, called
her and bought food from her.
He was
said to have ordered for N250 worth of food and reportedly lured the victim to
an uncompleted building to collect the money. When they got there, reports say
he overpowered her.
It was
further reported that Awawu stripped the woman naked and threatened to kill her
if she raised any alarm, but she resisted.
In the
ensuing scuffle, a passerby, who heard her screams, mobilised others and
stormed the building. They reportedly freed the woman and took Awawu to a
community leader who handed him over to the police.
Awawu
had told the police that he was hungry on the fateful day, but did not have
money to pay for the food.
He said,
“I just finished smoking cannabis that day and became hungry. I bought N250
food from her. I told her to come in to have the money, but I was lying. I was
about to rape her when I was caught.”
Awawu
was reportedly arraigned on September 2 and had pleaded guilty to four counts
bordering on attempted rape and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.
The
police prosecutor, Inspector Clifford Ogu, urged the court to sentence Awawu
accordingly, to serve as a deterrent to others.
The
charges against him read in part: “That you, Ganiyu Awawu, on August 28, 2015,
at about 4pm on Safuratu Yakubu Way, Ayobo, in the Lagos Magisterial District,
did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by
threatening to kill one Taiwo Ogundipo, thereby committing an offence contrary
to and punishable under Section 166 (D), Vol. 44 of the Criminal Law of Lagos
State, 2011.
“That
you, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial
district, did sexually harass Taiwo Ogundipo by holding her neck and ordering
her to remove all her clothes, thereby committing an offence contrary to and
punishable under Section 170, Vol. 44 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
However,
apart from the jail term, Awawu was fined a sum of N5, 000 by the court
presided over by a Chief Magistrate, Mrs. T. Akanni.
Akanni
held that the convict should pay a fine of N5, 000 for the first count.
He was
sentenced him to two years in prison for the second and third counts and the
Magistrate handed him four and half years for the fourth count, adding that the
jail terms should run simultaneously.
SOURCE:
DAILY POST
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