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Businessman, 38, bags life imprisonment for impregnating 14-year-old wife’s niece

An Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, Lagos Wednesday sentenced a 38-year-old businessman, Ofure Siakpere to life imprisonment for defiling and impregnating his wife’s 14-year-old niece (name withheld) kept in his care.

Siakpere was found guilty of a charge of defilement contrary to Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

While delivering her judgment, Justice Abiola Soladoye said that the prosecution had proved its case of defilement beyond every reasonable doubt, while describing the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses as “compelling and convincing”.

Justice Soladoye said: “This is contrary to that of the defence which was rather shallow and full of fallacy. The evidence of the defence witnesses was merely self-serving.”

“The defendant maltreated the victim (his wife’s niece) by defiling her. The conduct of this so called in-law is hurtful and demeaning. Where is the defendant’s humanity and moral compass?

“This case is a reflection of sexual lawlessness that occurs within the family circle.

“The defendant must be duly sanctioned in the hope that this will serve as a deterrent to others to not tow the line of sexual misconduct.

“The defendant Ofure Siakpere is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment with no option of fine.

“His name shall also be registered in the Sex Offenders Register as maintained by the Lagos State Government,” she added.

The judge further admonished parents to stop sending their children to stay with relatives and advised that they plan their families properly by giving birth to the number of children they can afford.

During the trial two witnesses; the survivor and a medical doctor, Dr Aniekan Makanjuola from Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) testified on behalf of the prosecution.

The survivor in her evidence said that she was overpowered and defiled on at least 15 occasions by the convict while living with him and his wife who was her aunt.

She said that anytime she resisted his advances, he beat her. The survivor said that she became pregnant as a result of the abuse.

As at the time of her testimony in court, she had already delivered a baby.

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