Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Court in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced Benson Arinze, the proprietor of Nurtured Brooks Nursery and Primary School in Ibeju-Lekki, to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a six-year-old pupil. The verdict was delivered after the judge found Arinze guilty of a one-count charge of defilement brought against him by the Lagos State Government.
During the trial, the prosecutor, Olanrewaju Adeoye, informed the court that the victim, a student at the school in 2022, often stayed behind after class while waiting for her parents. It was alleged that Arinze, along with a teacher named Victor Uche Ezenwata, sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions. The prosecutor stated that the convict inserted his finger into the child's vagina while the teacher engaged in indecent acts.
The abuse came to light when the child told her mother, who then informed her father. The case was subsequently reported to the Elemoro Police Station. Initially, Arinze was charged together with Ezenwata under Section 261 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2015, for sexual assault by penetration of a minor. Ezenwata faced three additional charges, including sexual assault by penetration, unlawful sexual intercourse, and indecent treatment under Section 135 of the same law.
Ezenwata pleaded guilty following a plea bargain agreement with the state, and an amended charge was read to him on 27 May 2025. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison by Justice Soladoye. Throughout the trial, Arinze maintained his innocence. However, the court found the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, particularly the victim and her father, to be clear and convincing, establishing guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Justice Soladoye dismissed the testimony of the defense witness as self-serving and proceeded to sentence Arinze to life imprisonment. The court also ordered that the convict's name be added to the State's Sexual Offenders Register, maintained by the Lagos State Government.
