Father gets life jail for raping his daughter, his friend also gets locked up for life
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
One Adewale Ibitoye has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his daughter, aged 14, and for a bottle of gin giving her in marriage to his friend who got her pregnant.
The Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court also jailed Moses Orukpe the friend who defiled the minor in a sham marriage.
Justice Abiola Soladoye handed down the verdicts after the court found both men guilty of sexual offences.
The judge held the prosecution proved the charge of defilement against the convicts beyond any doubt.
Soladoye condemned the barbaric act of Ibitoye for having sex with his underaged daughter several times and passing her off to his friend for a pseudo marriage.
She said: “The victim testified that her father had sexual intercourse with her on several occasions and that her father gave her hand in marriage to the second convict after he visited their house and gifted her father a bottle of gin.
“The second defendant had sexual intercourse with her which led to pregnancy and the first defendant in his testimony confirmed that he collected a bottle of gin from his friend as wedding rights.
“The testimony of the victim was vivid and unshaken during cross-examination as the first prosecution witness, a pastor, testified before the court that the victim lost the two-month-old baby due to lack of care and malnutrition.”
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Underaged girl can’t consent to marriage
The judge ruled a 14-year-old girl cannot give consent in marriage and condemned Ibitoye for engaging his daughter in the unlawful act, per reporting by The PUNCH.
“The first convict who had carnal knowledge of his own daughter is everything a father should not be. This is taboo and incest.
“He gave his underaged daughter out in marriage to his friend for a bottle of gin. This is highly irresponsible of him as responsible fathers are out there giving the best education to their children.
“The convicts are hereby found guilty as charged and hereby sentenced to life imprisonment.”
The court also ruled the convicts should have their names written in the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register.