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A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced a 25-year-old man, Jerry Njoku, to seven years' imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a 10-year-old girl.
Delivering judgment, Justice Rita Oguguo held that the prosecution had established the charge beyond reasonable doubt and consequently convicted the defendant. The court also ordered Njoku to pay ₦5 million in compensation to the victim's family, ruling that the prison sentence would run concurrently while the compensation must be paid to the family.
Reacting to the verdict, the prosecuting counsel and Chief State Counsel in the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, Precious Ordu, described the judgment as a strong warning to perpetrators of sexual offences, expressing hope that it would deter similar crimes. Counsel for the defence declined to comment on the ruling.
