HA High Court in Cross River State has convicted and sentenced a 46-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping his daughter.
The judge, Blessing Egwu, imposed the maximum sentence on Imeh Sunday after the overwhelming evidence presented by the prosecution.
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The conviction was disclosed by James Ibor, a lawyer and co-founder of Basic Rights Council Initiatives (BRCI), in a Facebook post.
Mr Ibor commended the survivor, her grandparents, state authorities, and justice sector actors for their roles in securing justice.
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“I wish to commend the survivor, her grandparents, the Attorney General of Cross River State, Charles Ani, the commissioner of police, the judiciary, as well as the staff and volunteers of BRCI for their commitment and support toward the survivor and her recovery,” he wrote.
The offence was committed in 2024, while prosecution commenced in 2025, this newspaper gathered.
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Ibor emphasised the legal framework guiding the conviction.
“Any sexual intercourse with anyone under the age of 18 is rape, and the punishment upon conviction is life imprisonment,” Mr Ibor said, referencing the Cross River State Child Rights Act 2023.
He explained that the court imposed the maximum sentence due to the aggravated nature of the crime.
“The court awarded the maximum punishment because the survivor in this case is the man’s daughter. The court considers that the child trusted him so much because he is her father, making the child vulnerable, and that having sexual intercourse with her is a betrayal of trust,” he said.
The judgement adds to a growing list of rape convictions recorded in Cross River in recent years.
In January 2026, a court in Calabar sentenced a man to death for raping two children and a woman, Vanguard newspaper reported.
In October 2024, PREMIUM TIMES reported the life imprisonment of a 47-year-old man in Cross River for raping an eight-year-old girl.
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The court also ordered the man to pay N1 million compensation to the survivor.
In July 2021, a man in Calabar was jailed for 12 years for raping two minors.
In January 2021, another offender in Cross River received a 22-year sentence for raping his 14-year-old daughter.
