A Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja has sentenced Benson Arinze, proprietor of Nurtured Brooks Nursery and Primary School, Ibeju-Lekki, to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a six-year-old pupil.
Justice Abiola Soladoye delivered the judgment on Wednesday, finding Arinze guilty of a one-count charge of defilement of a minor. The convict broke down in tears after the pronouncement.
State prosecution counsel O.E. Adeoye told the court the incident occurred in 2022. The pupil often stayed behind after school hours while awaiting her parents. During that period, Arinze allegedly took advantage of the situation and inserted his finger into the child’s vagina. The court also heard that Victor Ezenwata, a teacher at the school, allegedly rubbed his penis on the girl’s private part.
The case came to light after the victim’s mother observed unusual behavior in her daughter and questioned her. The child disclosed repeated sexual abuse within the school premises. Her father subsequently reported the matter to the Elemoro Police Station.
Arinze was initially arraigned alongside Ezenwata on charges of sexual assault by penetration of a six-year-old, contrary to Section 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. Ezenwata faced a three-count charge of sexual assault by penetration, unlawful sexual intercourse, and indecent treatment of a child under Section 135 of the same law. Through his counsel, Spurgeon Ataene, Ezenwata entered a plea bargain. An amended charge dated May 27, 2025, was read to him, and he pleaded guilty. The court sentenced him to 18 years’ imprisonment.
Arinze maintained his innocence throughout the trial. In her judgment, Justice Soladoye held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. She described the testimonies of PW1 and PW2 as “clear, direct and compelling,” adding that they sufficiently linked the convict to the offence. The judge dismissed the defence witnesses’ evidence as “self-serving” and insufficient to discredit the prosecution’s case. Two witnesses testified for the prosecution.
The court sentenced Arinze to life imprisonment and ordered that his name be entered into the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register.
