UK-based Nigerian jailed six years for sexual assault

The British Transport Police has secured a six-year jail term for a Nigerian based in the United Kingdom, Daniel Odubanjo, for sexually assaulting a woman during a train journey.

It was learnt on Tuesday from a statement published on the BTP website that Odubanjo was sentenced by the Chelmsford Crown Court on January 12 for offences including false imprisonment and sexual assault.

According to the statement, Odubanjo’s trial followed a report by a woman who said the convict assaulted her while she was using a train toilet.

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The statement narrated that on November 29, 2024, the victim, while using the train toilet, heard a bang on the door and assumed another passenger was waiting to use the facility.

It added that as she finished and opened the door, she was confronted by Odubanjo, who allegedly forced himself on her, dragged her back into the toilet and assaulted her.

The statement read, “But instead, she came face to face with Odubanjo, who pushed her back inside the cubicle and locked the door, forcefully grabbing her wrists and sexually assaulting her.

“In the struggle that ensued, the woman, who was 21 at the time, managed to open the door and attempted to get the attention of a fellow passenger, but Odubanjo grabbed her and pulled her back into the toilet, where he continued the sexual assault as she screamed for help.

“It was only when she lied about her age, claiming to be 14, that Odubanjo let her go. In an extremely distressed state, she approached a member of staff and left the train at Chelmsford, where she reported the incident to BTP.”

The police said that moments after the first incident, Odubanjo approached another teenager, sat opposite her and asked a barrage of inappropriate questions.

“When he left to use the toilet, the teenager moved seats to sit closer to other passengers and told them what had happened. However, Odubanjo returned, sat next to her and sexually assaulted her.

“A nearby passenger intervened and pulled Odubanjo away from the girl. The train was met by BTP officers at Hatfield Peverel station, just outside Chelmsford, where Odubanjo was arrested,” the statement added.

Following investigations, Odubanjo was charged, arraigned and later found guilty by the court.

The statement added, “Following a British Transport Police investigation, Daniel Odubanjo, 27, of King Avenue, Clapham, was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday, January 12, for one count of false imprisonment and two counts of sexual assault after being found guilty following an earlier trial.

“He was sentenced to six years in prison, ordered to pay a victim surcharge, and handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which prohibits him from being under the influence of any substance while on public transport, at stations or on Network Rail property.”

Odubanjo joins a list of Nigerians convicted of crimes in the UK.

It was reported in November 2025 that the United Kingdom’s National Health Service Counter Fraud Authority secured a three-year conviction against a Nigerian doctor, Richard Akinrolabu, for offences bordering on fraud by false representation amounting to £268,000.

Akinrolabu was employed as a trust-grade specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Princess Royal University Hospital and, between 2018 and 2021, allegedly reduced his workload under false pretences while engaging in another job.