Man Cleared of Rape Charges After Two Years in Custody

In a significant legal development, Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court has discharged and acquitted 23-year-old Victory Tasie, who was accused of raping his 19-year-old girlfriend. This ruling came after Tasie spent two years in prison awaiting trial.

The judge made the decision when she ruled on a no-case submission filed by Tasie’s counsel, Mrs. Rukayat Owolabi, on March 19, 2024. Justice Soladoye stated that the prosecution failed to meet the burden of proof required to establish the charge of defilement against Tasie.

Key to the judge’s decision was the testimony of the alleged survivor, Tasie’s girlfriend, who revealed in court that Tasie was her boyfriend and that he did not rape her. She also clarified that she was not a minor when she became pregnant, as she was born on April 12, 2003.

In her ruling, Justice Soladoye stated, “The prosecution only called one witness, and having not been able to call other witnesses, the prosecution closed its case… I hereby uphold the no-case submission of the defendant in this case. The defendant has no case to answer, and he is hereby discharged and acquitted.”

The state government had accused Tasie of defiling the survivor, who was purportedly 16 years old at the time, according to the charge. However, in her testimony, the girlfriend clarified that she was 19 years old, not 16, when she became pregnant as a result of consensual sexual activity with Tasie.

This case highlights the importance of thorough investigation and the need for evidence to support criminal charges. It also emphasizes the significance of the testimony of witnesses in establishing the facts of a case.

—