Incest: Father bags six years imprisonment

NAPTIP BOSS, JULIE

A High Court, sitting in Lugbe, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, yesterday sentenced Friday Elijah to six years imprisonment for having carnal knowledge of his 13 year old daughter and inflicting physical injury on her.

Elijah, 35, was arrested in July 2015 by operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Perso

 (NAPTIP) after he had carnal knowledge of his daughter.

The bubble for Elijah burst after his daughter disclosed to his relatives, how her father had been sexually abusing her and even injured her by smashing 7Up bottle on her head.

Head, Press and Public Relations, NAPTIP, Josiah Emerole said: “ The offences which are punishable under sections 2 (1) and 25 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 were committed in Ushafa, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.”

According to Emerole, on arraignment, Elijah pleaded not guilty to the two count charges of incest and inflicting physical injury on a person. The case therefore, went through full trial.

On November 8, 2017, the presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Angela. Otaluka found him guilty of the counts in Charge No. CR/103/16 and deferred the sentence to December 12, 2017.

However, on resumption of sitting this yesterday, Hon. Justice Otaluka sentenced him to six years imprisonment for incest and inflicting physical injury on his daughter.

After listening to the testimonies of the defendant’s wife and his cousin as to his character, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 310 and 311 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and the plea of allocotus (Leniency) from the Defence Counsel, he was sentenced to six years imprisonment without an option of fine for Count 1 (Inflicting Physical Injury on a Person) and 4 years Imprisonment without an option of fine for Count 2 (Incest). Both sentences are to run concurrently.

Reacting to the judgment, the Director-General, Dame Julie Okah-Donli commended the presiding Judge for courage. She stated that violence against persons was old fashioned and that those who still get involved in such an act must be dealt with in accordance with the law.