A 42-year-old father, Ekpo Lawrence, was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment without an option of fine by an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Se-xual Offences Court for defiling and impregnating his 15-year-old daughter.
Giving the judgment, Justice Abiola Soladoye said the prosecution diligently proved the ingredients of the charge of defilement that was proffered against Lawrence by the Lagos government.
The judge said the evidence cited by the prosecution had been consistent, while that of the defendant had been inconsistent and manifestly unreliable.
Soladoye in the judgment noted that Lawrence’s denial of the allegations amounted to calculated attempt to mislead the court.
She said:
“The inglorious conduct of this defendant is dirty, scandalous and unpardonable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 and condemnable in all ramifications.
“The immoral behaviour of having se-x with his own biological daughter is toxic, absolutely disgraceful and an abomination contrary to the law of nature. It is morally reprehensible as it is incest.
“This is a taboo and he must no doubt face the music for his morbid, sordid se-xual misconduct. For the above stated reasons, the defendant is sentenced to life imprisonment with no option of fine,” he said.
NAN reports that according to prosecution led by Mrs Bola Akinsete, Lawrence committed the offence between December 2018 and June 2019 at his home in Agege, Lagos.
The survivor who was 17-years-old when she gave her evidence in court said her father had on numerous occasions defiled her whenever her stepmother traveled.
She said the incest came to light when the she confided in a social worker in her school about her father’s actions.
Lawrence in his defence had denied having se-xual intercourse with his child claiming he was at work when the defilements allegedly took place.
(NAN)
