June 29, (THEWILL) – 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, however, gave birth to a baby girl in pendency of the trial.
The accused, 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 judgement, stated that the prosecution led credible evidence and made reference to the DNA result which revealed a 99.99 per cent 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 Needam committed the offence of rape and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment.
Speaking after the judgement, Egbuson said the judgement would serve as a deterrent to others who engage in such unimaginable acts while noting that a strong message has been sent that the court would not tolerate such heinous acts.
Egbuson, 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 known advocate against Violence against Women and founder of Do Foundation, Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry, said the CSOs in the state are excited with the judgement 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 safe and the innocent baby safe too. This should sound like a warning to all paedophiles to steer clear of our children,” she stated.
Needman, 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.
The convict was said to have replaced his deceased wife with his daughter on his matrimonial bed. While the 14-year-old girl who was in Junior Secondary School 3 was sleeping with her father on the bed, her two younger brothers were made to sleep on the floor.
About the Author
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
