A Family Court in Calabar, Cross River State, sentenced a 27-year-old man, Edidiong Nyojole, to life imprisonment for raping a 13-year-old girl in the Uwanse area of Calabar.
Justice Blessing Egwu of Family Court 2 delivered the judgement on 5 May. She said the prosecution proved the charge beyond a reasonable doubt against the convicted man.
Cross River State Ministry of Justice prosecuted the case.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), a non-governmental organisation advocating for the rights of indigent women and vulnerable children, said the judge relied on medical evidence corroborated by witness testimonies and the defendant’s admission during the trial to convict him.
The statement said the court heard that the convict forcefully dragged the minor into an uncompleted building in the Uwanse area of Calabar, where he, with an accomplice who is still at large, raped her.
In addition to the life sentence, the court ordered the convict to pay N1 million as compensation to the victim.
BRCI described the judgement as a firm stance against sexual violence.
“This conviction shows a firm judicial stance against sexual violence and affirms that perpetrators of such crimes will be held fully accountable under the law, the organisation said in a statement.
The statement acknowledged the Nigeria police in Cross River, the Cross River State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ededem Ani, and the staff of BRCI, whose work, the statement said made the conviction possible.
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Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, the Principal Counsel at BRCI, James Ibor said the Cross River State Government deserves commendation for its “zero tolerance” for gender and sexual violence.
“People are saying the number of convictions is increasing in Cross River State. These cases happen in other states too. What has increased in Cross River State is that people now report more because they trust that they will get justice,” Mr Ibor said.
A week ago, PREMIUM TIMES reported how a 46-year-old man in Cross River was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his daughter.