An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced 35 year old Joy Ikoja to seven years imprisonment for inflicting grievous harm on her boyfriend after allegedly catching him in bed with her friend.
Justice Oyinkansola Oluboyede convicted Ikoja of grievous harm under Section 255 of the Ekiti State Criminal Law, 2021, but cleared her of attempted murder after ruling that prosecutors failed to prove she intended to kill the victim or used a weapon.
According to court records, the incident occurred on April 12, 2025, at Irona in Ado Ekiti.
The prosecution told the court that Ikoja and her boyfriend, Ibrahim Usman, had lived together for about three years. During that period, Ikoja allowed her friend, Mayowa Ayomide, to stay in their home while she searched for accommodation, with Usman’s consent.
However, Ayomide and Usman allegedly began a secret relationship.
On the day of the incident, Ikoja returned home around 7:30 p.m. and found the door locked from the inside. After gaining entry, she reportedly caught the pair together in bed, leading to a confrontation.
During the struggle, Ikoja allegedly grabbed Usman’s genitals, causing severe injuries that tore his scrotum and exposed his testicles.
He was initially treated at the Police Cottage Hospital in Okesa before being transferred to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital after the injury became infected and required specialist treatment.
Although Ikoja denied making a confessional statement and claimed the altercation was only a brief fight, the court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt through her statement, medical reports and witness testimony.
Justice Oluboyede condemned acts of domestic violence driven by uncontrolled emotions, stressing that no circumstance justifies such violence.
The court sentenced Ikoja to seven years imprisonment, with the period already spent in custody to be deducted from her sentence.
The judge also criticised the defence for opting for a full trial instead of pursuing a plea bargain, noting that it could have reduced legal costs, shortened the proceedings, protected the victim’s privacy and possibly resulted in a lighter sentence.
