HULL, UNITED KINGDOM — A Nigerian national residing in the United Kingdom on a student visa has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison following his conviction for a predatory sexual assault and attempted rape. The defendant, twenty-seven-year-old Qudus Ajeyemi, who was widely known among his peers by the nickname Spartan, was brought to justice after his victim courageously recorded a phone conversation in which he explicitly begged for her forgiveness and admitted to the criminal encounter.
The legal proceedings reached their conclusion at Hull Crown Court, where a jury found Ajeyemi guilty of both attempted rape and sexual assault following an intense, week-long trial that originally concluded on May 26. Following the guilty verdicts, the defendant was remanded in custody until his formal sentencing hearing, which took place on Monday, June 15. In addition to his immediate custodial sentence, the court ordered that Ajeyemi be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life, handed him a strict seven-year restraining order protecting the victim, and confirmed that he will face automatic deportation back to Nigeria by immigration authorities immediately upon the completion of his prison term.
The complex investigation began in March 2023 when detectives received a distressing report from a woman who detailed a traumatic encounter that had occurred a few weeks prior after a night out in the city of Hull. According to the prosecution's case, presented by barrister Charlotte Baines, the victim had been part of a social group that enjoyed a night out in the city, which included attending a house party and spending time at a local nightclub. Over the course of the evening, the victim consumed half a bottle of champagne alongside some vodka, which eventually left her severely intoxicated and unwell.
Upon returning to a residential property located on Tavistock Street in Hull, the woman became physically sick in the bathroom. Seeking to rest, she sat on a sofa downstairs, at which point Ajeyemi approached her and asked if she wanted to go upstairs to a bedroom for a nap. Believing that she was being offered a safe environment to sleep off the effects of the alcohol, the woman accepted the offer. Spartan then escorted her up the stairs and she lay down on the bed.
The prosecution told the court that the victim fully expected Ajeyemi to leave the room and allow her to rest. However, within a matter of seconds, Ajeyemi began touching her intimately against her will. Displaying immediate resistance, the woman pushed him away and explicitly stated that she was not interested in any sexual contact. Despite her clear boundaries, Ajeyemi was not deterred by her verbal rejection and proceeded to touch her a second time, prompting the victim to firmly demand that he stop. It was during this struggle that she realized Ajeyemi had completely undressed himself. In a desperate bid to protect herself, the woman grabbed hold of him to halt his advances, which resulted in him pushing her before she managed to break free, flee the bedroom, and run down the stairs.
Distraught and crying, the victim sat back on the downstairs sofa, where several of Ajeyemi’s friends noticed her visible distress and questioned what had happened. Moments later, Ajeyemi himself walked into the room and casually asked her what was wrong, acting as though he had no involvement in her emotional breakdown despite being fully aware of his actions. The woman was subsequently escorted safely back to her home, where she eventually confided the details of the assault to a trusted friend.
A critical turning point in the case occurred when Ajeyemi later initiated contact with the victim via a FaceTime video call. During this recorded exchange, the defendant repeatedly apologized for his behavior and made explicit admissions regarding what he had done in the bedroom. He followed up the call with numerous text messages reiterating his pleas for forgiveness. Unbeknownst to Ajeyemi, the victim had preserved records of these communications, providing the police with undeniable digital evidence.
Detectives from the Protecting Vulnerable People Unit of the Humberside Police were assigned to the case and successfully identified the individual known as Spartan as Qudus Ajeyemi, a student living on May Street in Hull. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of attempted rape. During his official police interviews, Ajeyemi maintained a blanket denial of the allegations, even when investigators played back the audio recordings of his own admissions and apologies. His refusal to accept responsibility ultimately forced the case to a grueling six-day trial, needlessly prolonging the judicial process for the survivor.
Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Ethan Anderson, who led the comprehensive investigation for the Humberside Police, praised the immense bravery of the victim. He noted that reporting crimes of a sexual nature is an incredibly difficult choice and commended the survivor for her unwavering strength from the initial report through to the final sentencing. Anderson highlighted that Ajeyemi deliberately preyed on a vulnerable woman, taking advantage of her state of intoxication to assault her in a space where she should have felt completely safe among friends.
The detective emphasized that the Humberside Police take all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously and remain dedicated to removing dangerous perpetrators from local communities. He reconfirmed that specialized officers work around the clock alongside partner support agencies to assist victims and survivors, regardless of whether the abuse occurred recently or years in the past. Authorities concluded the matter by urging anyone who has experienced or suspects sexual misconduct to come forward and contact law enforcement through official channels.
