The High Court in Cross River State has handed down a life sentence to a 46-year-old man convicted of raping his own daughter. Justice Blessing Egwu delivered the maximum penalty after the prosecution presented substantial evidence, leading to the conviction.
James Ibor, a legal practitioner and co-founder of Basic Rights Council Initiatives (BRCI), announced the conviction via a Facebook post. He acknowledged the contributions of the survivor, her grandparents, state officials, and justice sector actors in achieving this outcome.
According to reports, the offence occurred in 2024, with legal proceedings commencing in 2025.
Mr. Ibor elaborated on the legal basis for the sentence, citing the Cross River State Child Rights Act 2023. He stated that any sexual act with an individual under 18 years old constitutes rape, carrying a potential punishment of life imprisonment.
The court's decision to impose the harshest sentence was attributed to the egregious nature of the crime, particularly the violation of trust inherent in a father-daughter relationship. Mr. Ibor explained that the court viewed the act as a profound betrayal, given the child's trust in her father.
This case is among a growing number of rape convictions in Cross River State. Previous reports include a man sentenced to death in Calabar in January 2026 for raping two children and a woman. In October 2024, another man received a life sentence for the rape of an eight-year-old girl.
Additionally, a 12-year sentence was given in July 2021 to a man for raping two minors, and in January 2021, an offender was sentenced to 22 years for raping his 14-year-old daughter.
The court in this recent case also mandated the convicted man to pay N1 million in compensation to the survivor.
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