A Bayelsa State High Court has sentenced a 41-year-old man, Baridapsi Needam, to 17 years in prison for raping and impregnating his 14-year-old daughter.
The victim gave birth to a baby girl during the course of the trial.
Needam was charged with rape contrary to the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law of Bayelsa State, 2021. Investigations revealed that he began defiling his daughter at age seven and continued until she became pregnant in 2022.
The court found the prosecution’s evidence credible, including a DNA result showing a 99.99% match that Needam is the father of the child. The judge, D.E Adokeme, ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced Needam to 14 years in imprisonment.
The State Prosecuting Counsel, Pere Amanda Egbuson, hailed the judgment as a deterrent to others who engage in such acts, while a known advocate against violence against women, Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry, praised the state government and gender advocacy groups for keeping the victim and her baby safe.
The case was reported to the police by the Gender Response Initiative Team in 2022 after a concerned neighbor suspected the father was responsible for the pregnancy.
The convict replaced his deceased wife with his daughter, sleeping with her on his matrimonial bed while her younger brothers slept on the floor.
