C'River Court Sentences 38-Year-Old Man to Life Imprisonment for Raping 10-Year-Old Girl
A Cross River State High Court sitting in Calabar has sentenced a 38-year-old man, Nsikak Friday Okon, to life imprisonment for raping a 10-year-old girl.
Converseer reports that the court, presided over by Justice Blessing Egwu, delivered the judgment on Wednesday after finding Okon guilty of the offence.
The conviction was secured by the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), in collaboration with other stakeholders.
Reacting to the judgment, the Principal Counsel and Co-Founder of BRCI, James Ibor, described the ruling as a strong statement against sexual violence and child abuse in Cross River State.
Ibor said the judgment reaffirmed every child's right to live free from sexual abuse, violence and exploitation.
He commended the Cross River State Government for its efforts in tackling sexual violence, while also acknowledging the Nigeria Police Force for its investigation and the Attorney-General of the state, Ededem Ani, for pursuing the case despite the challenges involved.
The BRCI co-founder also appreciated the Director of Public Prosecutions, Okoi Ukam, and Joseph Apajung for their roles in ensuring that the convict was brought to justice.
He further praised members of the BRCI team for supporting the survivor and her family throughout the legal process, noting that helping victims of sexual violence, particularly children, requires more than securing convictions.
According to him, protecting survivors' privacy, listening to their needs and providing the necessary support for them and their families to recover are equally important.
Ibor also recognised the contributions of civil society and development partners, including Safe Child Africa, ActionAid Nigeria and UNICEF Nigeria.
While welcoming the court's decision, he stressed that the fight against sexual violence must extend beyond punishment to include adequate protection, access to care, survivor-centred support and measures to prevent further abuse.
Converseer further reports that BRCI has secured the convictions of eight rape offenders in Cross River State within the past 10 months.
(Converseer)
