Bus Driver Jailed 35 Years For Raping Girl, 17

For spearheading gang-raping of a 17-year-old student (names withheld), a bus driver, Chukwuebuka Sunday, has been sentenced to 35 years imprisonment by a Delta State High Court.



The sentence was without an option of fine, according to the court presided over by Justice Nduka Obi.



Sunday and five others now at large, had gang-raped the victim on November 23, 2012 at Akwuebulu in the Asaba Judicial Division.



He had been standing trial on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit rape, rape and demanding with menace.



Although, he denied the charges, the court held that the prosecution has proved its case beyond all reasonable doubts as it established essential ingredients of the offence.



The court held that the evidence of the witness was of truth, cogent and compelling while it rejected Sunday’s testimony.



“The evidence of Prosecution Witness One (PW1) was straight-forward and to the point as she gave her evidence without any form of malice and with a disposition of forgiveness,” the court held.



The court accordingly sentenced the Sunday to three years for count one, 30 years for count two and two years for count three which are to run concurrently.



Justice Obi said the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others as the rising cases of rape in society was alarming.



The victim told the court that “on November 23, 2012 at about 11am, my mother sent me on an errand to the market to buy foodstuffs for her. On my way to the market along Arthur Richard Street, Akwuebulu, one boy called Ebuka saw me and seized me by my skirt and dragged me into their compound and locked the gate.



“As soon as he locked the gate, he brought out a cutlass and threatened to cut me with it. He used the cutlass to hit me on my stomach and also hit himself severally with the cutlass and started boasting that he was a strong man and a cultist.



“Thereafter, he pushed me into his room and forcefully removed my underwear and raped me. After raping me, he called his friends on phone and five other boys came and also raped me in turns.



“They poured gin on my face, threw raw eggs on my head and beat me up even as I was crying and pleading for them to leave me. They also asked me to pay them N15,000.00 or else they will kill me and my parents.”



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