Herbalist jailed 14 years for attempted sexual assault on minor

An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday sentenced a herbalist, Segun Shina, to 14 years’ imprisonment for attempted sexual assault on a 10-year-old girl who suffered epilepsy.

Justice Rahman Oshodi sentenced Shina after he pleaded guilty to an amended one-count charge of attempted sexual assault.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Shina had in a plea bargain agreement changed his plea of not guilty to guilty.

Oshodi, therefore, held that the evidence before the court, and the voluntary plea, proved that Shina committed the offence.

Oshodi, thereafter, convicted him as charged.

The judge held that he was satisfied that the convict duly understood the nature of the plea bargain agreement, and that his counsel had explained it to him.

He said: “Segun Shina, you have pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault by penetration of a 10-year-old girl suffering from epilepsy.

“I must emphasise that the charge with which you were earlier charged carries life imprisonment.”

“You exploited the child seeking help for epilepsy and you also betrayed the trust placed on you as a traditional herbal healer.

“I have considered your plea for mercy, your lawyer’s allocutus, submission of the prosecutor and I hereby sentence you to 14 years jail term.”

Oshodi ordered that the sentence should commence from Nov.16, 2018, the day Shina was arrested.

The court also ordered the family of the convict to ensure his rehabilitation upon release.

“You shall have no direct or indirect contact with the family of the survivor and your name shall be registered as a sex offender under the law,” the judge also held.

NAN recalls that Shina was initially arraigned on a charge of defilement on April 4, 2021 by the Lagos State Government.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and the State Counsel, Ms Bukola Okeowo, called two witnesses: the survivor’s mother and an investigative police officer, through whom compelling evidence and exhibits were tendered as evidence.

The survivor’s mother told the court that the survivor suffered from epilepsy and she had taken her to Shina for healing.

The offence, according to the prosecution, violate Section 262 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.