Father arraigned over alleged defilement of 17-year-old daughter

A Lagos magistrate court sitting in Ikeja on Thursday arraigned a 52-year-old trader, Eze Chukwuma, for allegedly defiling his 17-year-old daughter. 

Chukwuma, who resides at Iyana-Era area of Ijanikin in Lagos, is facing a count charge of defilement. 

According to the prosecutor, Sgt. Raphael Donny, the accused committed the offence sometime in June 2016 at his residence. 

Donny said the accused had been forcefully having carnal knowledge of his daughters since their mother, his wife, died sometime in February 2008. 

The victim said that their father usually had his way with her and her younger sister after threatening to stab her and himself with a knife and cutlass. 

The girl alleged that it was his father that deflowered her. “At night, my father will ask us to separate ourselves so that he could sleep with me before going to have his way again with my younger sister,” the victim said. She told the court that her elder sister ran away from home because their father was always having sexual intercourse with her and she could no longer bear it. 

“The case was reported to the police by a neighbour who the girl confided in,’’ Donny said. The prosecutor also informed the court that the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state, 2011, while Section 137 prescribes life imprisonment upon conviction for child rape. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty. 

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Davies Abegunde, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum. Abegunde also ruled that the sureties, must be owners of landed property, and should be gainfully employed and must also show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos state government, she ruled.