A magistrate court sitting in Ekpoma, Esan West LGA in Edo State, has sentenced two graduates of Ambrose Alli University, sisters Judith Ivie Okosun and Juliet Obehi Okosun, to jail for unlawfully detaining and indecent assault on Dr Peter Otubu, a lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronics.
Chief Magistrate Maltina Iluobe, in charge sheet No: MEK/18C/2012, committed Juliet Obehi Okosun to two years imprisonment for unlawful detention of and indecent assault on Otubu.
The other student, Judith Ivie Okosun, was convicted to a one-year jail term for the unlawful detention of the plaintiff in connection with a sexual harassment scandal, which led to the dismissal of Dr Otubu over seven years ago.
The first and second accused persons were convicted with a N20,000 fine on count 4, which bothers on indecent assault, while Juliet Obehi Okosun (sister to first accused) was found guilty on count 8, for the unlawful detention of Otubu.
The court recalled that Juliet Obehi Okosun (second accused person) had admitted in her evidence before the court that she had the key to the apartment where (first accused person) Judith Ivie Okosun unlawfully assaulted Dr Otubu, who was held hostage and stripped naked in their one room apartment in a private female hostel near the University on the 17th of July, 2010.
In count 8, the court ruled that the failure of Juliet Obehi to open the door of their living room and release Dr Otubu, who was made to write a cheque of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) to Judith Ivie, counted as inhuman treatment against Otubu under the circumstances.
The court specifically established that in the recorded video clip, which was posted on the internet by one Oziengbe, now at large – that the second accused person had told the court that she was in possession of the key to the apartment where Dr. Peter Otubu was held, making her liable for conviction with an option of a N30,000 for unlawful detention.
Chief Magistrate Maltina Iluobe, however, discharged and acquitted Judith Ivie Okosun and Juliet Obehi Okosun (who were both undergraduate students at AAU at the time they were charged to court) on counts 1, 5, and 6, which bother on conspiracy and stealing and frivolous petition against Dr Peter Otubu, following the failure or the prosecution to prove the case to the court.
It also discharged and acquitted the 3rd to 7th accused persons: Esther Ogbeide (21), Samson Ogbeide (32), Igbudu Samuel (42), Ojeabulu Eghosa Clement (37) and Aruya Ohis Williams (24), for lack of substantial evidence.
The court revealed the failure of Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN) to provide calls log of conversations between the first Principal Witness (Dr Peter Iluobe) and some of the accused persons, as required by the prosecution to prove his case.
The court however frowned on Dr Otubu’s conduct, saying he “suffered from the sins of immorality to have gone to the room of his student which resulted in the show of shame,” humiliation and torture which left his career in ruins.
The judgement went on to say that:
“This court is of the view that there is a very strong conspiracy and set up against the Dr Peter Otubu, even though the defense counsel had submitted before the court that suspicion does not amount to conspiracy.
The court also held that “throughout the length and breadth of the case, there is a thread which runs through criminal procedure of the case against the accused persons.
“Therefore, I hold that count 1 has not been proven as required by law.
“For count 2, the first and second accused persons had testified that the allegations were communicated to the school authorities about the show of shame.
“I believe them in this because, judging from the position of the the Principal Witness (PW1) and the first accused person, the whole truth was found and doctored, such situation is highly embarrassing to him as a lecturer, his family and the University Community,” the court said.
Credit: The SUN
