23 year-old man gets life imprisonment for raping step-daughter

Mr Iniobong Moses, a 23 year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his 3 year-old step-daughter kept in his custody in Ikot Akpe, Uyo local government area, Akwa Ibom state.

Moses, an indigene of Afaha Udo Eyop in Ibesikpo Asutan local government area, said in his confessional statement that he was drunk when he committed the act.

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He stated that he defiled his daughter by putting his fingers and penis into the victim’s vagina on November 8, 2019, when his wife left for the market.

The Police Medical Report showed a history of abnormal vaginal discharge and wound on the labium of the victim, a case of sexual assault with genital ulcer and genital tract infection.

Speaking on Wednesday in Uyo High Court 7, Justice Okon Okon found Moses guilty of rape, contrary to Section 367 of the Criminal Code Cap 38, Vol. 2 Laws of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, 2000.

Okon described the accused as “a disgrace to humanity, whose conduct falls abysmally below even the conduct of beasts”.

The judge held that by his indefensible and despicable act, the accused has shown himself to be “callous and devoid of passion”.

He further held that the accused “does not deserve to walk freely on Nigerian soil and breathe the air of freedom meant for decent members of the society.

“In her childhood and angelic innocence and vulnerability, the victim could even have been looking at the accused gleefully, in naivety, expecting no hurt from the accused in loco parentis with her,” he said.

The Court rejected the claim by the accused that he was drunk, noting that, “drunkenness is not an exculpatory defence in Law for the commission of a crime and more so, as it was self inflicted”.

The Court held that Moses “deserves to be put away for a long time from public glare to save innocent children from being further brutalized and ravished by him”.