 |
Man Bags 14 Years For Raping, Impregnating Daughter |
The Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa has sentenced a 41-year-old man, Baridapsi Needam, to 14 years imprisonment for raping and impregnating his daughter.
The victim, who hails from Ogani Wily Kaira Community in Ogoni, Rivers State, gave birth to a baby girl during the trial.
The accused, Mr. 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, Mr. Needam, began fingering his daughter when she was seven years old and started having sex with her in 2020 until she got pregnant in 2022.
While delivering the judgment, the presiding judge, Justice D.E. Adokeme, stated that the prosecution led credible evidence and referenced the DNA result, which revealed a 99.99 percent positive report that the convict is the father of the child.
The court ruled that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that Mr. Needam committed the offence of rape and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment.
Speaking after the judgment, the lead prosecuting counsel, Egbuson, noted that the judgment will serve as a deterrent to others who engage in such unimaginable acts, noting that a strong message has been sent that the court will not tolerate such heinous acts.
