By Yemi Olajutemu

Ado Ekiti

There is a popular saying in the Yoruba Palance ‘ Oruko nroni, Apeje nrooyan” meaning that one’s name has alot to determine in one’s characters and fortunes.

Ajikawo is a Yoruba name implying someone who wakes to count his blessings through making alot of money everyday.( He wakes to Count Money).

But the above saying seems negated in the in the case of One Oluwatosin Ajikawo, a 26 Years old man who has been sentenced to fourteen years in jail by the  Ekiti State high court for attempting one rape and grievioulsy harm one Kolawole Omotola on the 13/2/2021.

The court had ruled that Ajikawo should be flogged for the whole of 16 years of his incarceration. He would now wake to count  strokes of cane he would daily recieve rather than the blessings (money) he was supposed to count daily.

The charge reads

“ that the defendant on 13/2/2021 at Ado Ekiti within the jurisdiction of this honorable court did attempt to rape one Kolawole Omotola, and also caused grievous harm on her

The offences contravene sections 359 and 335 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012“

In her testimony before the court, the victim said,

“I was sleeping around 11:00 p.m., I heard a bang at my door, I woke up to know what was happening, the defendant suddenly emerged with a knife, he ordered me to laid down on the bed but I declined, he started hitting my head on the wall and punching me in the face, I was shouting loudly, this attracted attention of my neighbours who came to my rescue after he had overpowered me, he was handed over to the Police while I was taken to the hospital for medical treatment due to knife and bodily injury sustained during the struggle.”

To prove his case, the prosecutor, Olasanmi Oluwaseun called two witnesses and tendered statements of the victim, witnesses and defendant as exhibits.

The defendant in his defence through his counsel, Busayo Sule admitted and confessed to have committed the offences, he said

‘’ when I broke to her house, I wanted to have sex with her because she looked sexy and beautiful, it was painful for not succeeded in having sex with her, I overpowered her but was rescued by her neighbours,” he concluded.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Olalekan Olatawura said, the defendant is found guilty as charged in both counts.

“In considering the appropriate sentence to be passed, I take notice of the fact that sexual aggravated assaults on female have alarmingly increased within this jurisdiction and it must be nipped in the bud.

The defendant showed no remorse up to this point, he is in my own opinion, not only a clear and present danger but also a threat to women and should not be given any sympathetic consideration, so as to serve as a deterrent to other people or person of his ilk.

The defendant is hereby sentenced to 14 years imprisonment with canning in respect of count one (Attempt to rape) and 2 years imprisonment in count two (Grievous harm).

The sentences are to run concurrently, the judge ruled.