Man bags 14 years for raping, impregnating daughter
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa has sentenced a 41-year-old man, Baridapsi NeedamĀ to 14 years imprisonment for raping and impregnating his daughter.
The accused, Needam, in the suit numbered YHC/14C/2022 was charged with the offence of rape contrary to Section 1(1) of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law of Bayelsa State, 2021.
The State Prosecuting Counsel and Deputy Director in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Justice, Pere Amanda Egbuson, told the court that investigations revealed that the accused began defiling his daughter when she was seven years old by inserting his fingers into her vagina and started having sex with her in 2020 until she got pregnant in 2022.
The Presiding Judge, Justice D.E Adokeme, while delivering the judgment stated that the prosecution led credible evidence and made reference to the DNA result which revealed a 99.99 percent positive report that the convict is the father of the child delivered by the daughter in the pendency of the trial.
The court ruled that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that Needam committed the offence of rape and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment.
Speaking after the judgment, Ā Egbuson noted that the judgment will serve as a deterrent to others who engage in such unimaginable acts while noting that a strong message has been sent that the court will not tolerate such heinous acts.
She, however, thanked the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Biriyai Dambo SAN for his immense support in ensuring that the DNA analysis was carried out to aid the prosecution in pursuit of justice in the case.
Also commenting on the development, a founder of Do Foundation, Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry, said the CSOs in the state are excited with the judgment of the court.
“The State Government through the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women Affairs, Children Affairs and Social Development, and the Bayelsa State Gender Response Initiative Team has done well by keeping the victim and the innocent baby safe too. This should sound like a warning to all paedophiles to stay clear of our children.”
The convict. who hails from Ogani Wily Kaira Community in Ogoni in Rivers State, was reported to the police by members of the State Gender Advocacy group, Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT) in 2022 when a concerned neighbour noticed that the victim was five months pregnant and that the father was responsible for the pregnancy.
He was reported to have replaced his deceased wife with his daughter who was in Junior Secondary School 3, sleeping on the bed with her while forcing her two younger brothers to sleepĀ onĀ theĀ floor.
