An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced a woman, Joy Ikoja, to seven years imprisonment for causing grievous harm to her partner, Usman.Delivering judgment,
Justice Adekunle Oluboyede said the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. During the trial, the prosecution presented police investigators and the attending medical doctor as witnesses.
It also tendered documentary and photographic evidence, Ikoja’s confessional statement, and a medical report linking Usman’s injuries to the incident.Ikoja, who was represented by *Adeyinka Opaleke of the Legal Aid Council, pleaded not guilty.
She denied making the confessional statement and claimed that although there was an argument, she did not inflict the injuries on Usman.However, Justice Oluboyede dismissed her denial as an “afterthought.”
The judge ruled that the defendant’s extra-judicial confession aligned with other evidence before the court, including medical findings and police testimony.
The judge also raised concerns over the rising cases of domestic violence caused by anger, jealousy, and loss of emotional control.
She stressed that no circumstance can justify violence.Justice Oluboyede further noted that the defense missed an opportunity to seek a plea bargain. According to her, a plea deal would have cut legal costs, reduced jail time, sped up the case, and given the victim more privacy.
The court sentenced Ikoja to seven years in prison — the maximum penalty under Section 255 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
The time she has already spent in detention will be deducted from the sentence.The judge said the sentence should serve as a warning to people who use violence to settle domestic or relationship disputes, adding that emotional provocation is not a defense in law.
