By Solomon Runsewe
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A 36-year-old ex-convict, Noah Arowolo recently shocked the audience at an Akure Chief Magistrate Court when he admitted that it was the devil that pushed him to rape his mother.
His words: “It was the devil and some people that pushed me to rape my mother and hit my brother on the head with a cutlass”.
He stated this before the court while he was crossed examined on the series of crime which he had been convicted of prior to the current offence committed which brought him to court.
Giving reasons for his actions in Yoruba language, he heaped all the blame on the devil’s hapless head.
In his agitation to impress upon the court how remorseful he was, he took some steps towards the Magistrate who seemed alarmed until the police orderly stopped him in his tracks.
He prostrated and begged the court to help him apologize to his mother and his brother whom he had broken his head as a fallout of the rape incident while promising that he would make amends.
However, Arowolo was not prosecuted on the offences. Apparently, his family members had chosen not to press charges against him on the rape of his mother and the assault on his brother.
According to the prosecutor, Inspector Augustine Omhenimhen, the accused person was currently being tried by the court after he was alleged to have conducted himself in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace in the area.
The prosecutor painted a picture of the accused person as a hardened criminal who was a threat to the people in his environment.
He was alleged to have forcibly entered into the land which belonged to one Alhaji Jimoh Daikwo of Elebisere camp via Ofosu.
Following his conviction, he was sentenced to three years Imprisonment by an Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court, for allegedly destroying property of the complainant worth nine million, five hundred thousand naira (N9, 500,000.00) and other related offences.
The accused person was said to have committed the offence on February 1, 2021 around 9:00am at Elebisere camp via Ofosu.
He had pleaded guilty to the two count charge leveled against him.
Omhenimhen told the court that the accused person also a threatened to the complainant that, he will kill him if he is eventually released by the court.
He said the accused person had been sent to prison many times on different crimes following his conviction on the charges brought against him at those times and argued that he is an hardened criminal.
The charge sheet containing the allegations brought against him read that you Noah Arowolo, ‘m’ 36, on the 1st day of February, 2021, at about 9:00am at Elebisere camp via Ofosu within the Jurisdiction of this honourable court, did in a manner to cause a breach of the peace or reasonable apprehension forcibly entered into the land which is an actual and peaceable possession of Alhaji Jimoh Daikwo of Elebisere camp via Ofosu and thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under section 81 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol1 Law of Ondo State Nigeria 2006.
That you Noah Arowolo, on the same day, time at the aforementioned place, did maliciously damaged Palm trees and Orange crops valued sum of N9,500,000.00, property of one Alhaji Jimoh Daikwo, of Elebisere camp via Ofosu and thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under section 451 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol1 Law of Ondo State Nigeria, 2006.
In the current case, the accused person pleaded guilty after the charge sheet was read to him and pleaded for mercy with the promise that he will try to be a changed person.
It was like a drama when questions were thrown at the accused person and he began to confirm his criminal record.
He was asked, have you been to prison before, he answered ” yes my lord. But I only spent a month in the prison custody. Please forgive me this time, I will make amends”.
He was also asked, is it true that you raped your mother and broke your brothers’ head?
He answered in the affirmative saying that all his offences were works of the devil.
The offence committed by him was said to have contravened section 81 and 451 of the Criminal Code CAP 37 Vol1 Law of Ondo state 2006.
The prosecutor urged the court to punish the accused person for his offences according to the law, saying that he needs to learn his lesson in the hard way.
Counsel to the complainant, H.A Ogire prayed the court to allow justice to take its course and that the accused person had been going to prison severally.
He added that the last time he was sentenced to prison, he spent three months.
In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate, O R Yakubu sentenced the accused person to one year Imprisonment on count one with hard labour and two years Imprisonment for count two and ordered that the two sentences should run concurrently.
She added that the accused person should undergo Covid-19 test and be taking to any available correctional center.