Man arrested for raping and impregnating his daughter in Bayelsa

A Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa has sentenced 41-year-old Baridapsi Needam to 14 years in prison for raping and impregnating his daughter.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the victim gave birth to a baby girl during the trial.

The Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Bayelsa State, Mr. Briyal Dambo, in suit number YHC/14C/2022, charged the defendant with rape under section 1(1) of the Bayelsa State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2021.

Pere Amanda Egbuson, a prosecutor in the Bayelsa Ministry of Justice, told the court that investigations revealed that the accused, Needam, began abusing his daughter when she was seven years old.

Egbuson said Needam defiled the daughter by inserting his fingers into her private parts before having sexual intercourse with her in 2020 when she became pregnant.

Presiding Judge DE Adokeme stated in his verdict that the prosecution had presented credible evidence and referred to the DNA results which indicated with 99.99 percent certainty that the convicted man was the father of the child.

The court ruled that the prosecution had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Needam had committed rape and subsequently sentenced him to 14 years in prison.

After the verdict was announced, Senior Prosecutor Egbuson said the verdict would have a deterrent effect on others who commit such unimaginable acts.

She thanked the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Biriyai Dambo, for his assistance in conducting the DNA analysis in support of the prosecution.

Reacting to this development, Dr Dise Ogbise-Goddy Harry, a prominent activist against violence against women and founder of the Do Foundation, commended the court for ensuring justice.

“The state government through its Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women, Children Affairs and Social Development and the Bayelsa State Gender Response Initiative Team did a good job in ensuring the safety of the victim and the baby.

“This should be a warning to all paedophiles to stay away from our children,” she said.

It may be recalled that Bayelsa State gender advocacy group, Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT), handed Needman over to the police after a concerned neighbour discovered that he was responsible for his daughter’s pregnancy in 2022.

(NAN)