Delta child defilement sentence as High Court jails Ernest Okporu for 12 years over violent assault on an 11-year-old girl

A Delta State High Court sitting in Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area, has sentenced Mr Ernest Okporu to 12 years’ imprisonment for the violent defilement of an 11-year-old girl in Osubi community, Okpe Local Government Area.

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The judgment was delivered on Thursday by Justice S.I. Okeleke, who found the defendant guilty of the offence committed in March 2024.

The conviction followed a prosecution by the Delta State Ministry of Justice under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law of Delta State.

Senior Special Assistant to the Delta State Governor on Human Rights, Mr Kelvin Ejumudo, confirmed the ruling in a statement posted on his official Facebook page.

Mr Ejumudo, who also serves as National Secretary of the Human Rights Protection Congress, commended the court for what he described as a firm defence of the rule of law and justice for vulnerable victims.

He also praised the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Mr Omamuzo Erebe, SAN, for what he described as diligent legal representation throughout the trial.

According to Mr Ejumudo, the victim remains deeply traumatised by the incident, recalling that she was restrained before being assaulted by the convict.

He said the state government plans to publish the convict’s details on official platforms as part of measures to deter similar crimes.

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Mr Ejumudo further acknowledged the Delta State Government’s zero-tolerance stance on rape, defilement, and gender-based violence, describing the sentence as a powerful warning to offenders.