An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Thursday sentenced two men to 15 years in prison each for the brutal flogging that led to the death of a 12-year-old housemaid in Lagos.
The convicts, 22-year-old painter Edidiong Edem and 21-year-old mechanic Alex Effiong-Etim, were handed the custodial sentences by Justice Abiola Soladoye after they entered a plea bargain on an amended charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Delivering judgment, Justice Soladoye ruled that the prison terms would commence from the date the accused were first remanded in custody.
The court heard that the victim was repeatedly beaten on her legs with a broom by the duo, an assault that caused injuries which became infected with tetanus, eventually resulting in her death.
Edem and Effiong-Etim were initially arraigned on February 25, 2022, and pleaded not guilty.
However, they later agreed to a plea bargain on the same date, which led to the charge being amended to involuntary manslaughter.
During proceedings, the prosecution, led by state counsel Oluwaseun Adewoye, told the court that the offence occurred in January 2022 at Military Estate in Eleko, Lagos State.
The prosecution explained that the convicts’ reckless actions directly led to the minor’s death and violated Section 224 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Justice Soladoye’s ruling underscores the court’s firm stance against the abuse of domestic workers and the protection of children under the law.