The Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Lagos, on Monday, sentenced a 45-year-old pastor, Ndukwe Ogbu, to 25 years imprisonment for raping his 14-year-old daughter.

Ogbu was arraigned in February 2021 over charges bordering sexual assault, sexual assault by penetration, and related offences. His trial, however, commenced in October that year.

The minor, while narrating the traumatic ordeal, told the court that the pastor would come into her room naked, remove her clothes, and force himself on her. She also said that Ogbu, who raped her on several occasions, threatened her not to tell anyone about it.

The victim confided In her school teacher, who then alerted a social worker, Femi Oyeleke, who, in turn, reported the case to the police.

Oyeleke was present during the court hearing as a witness, alongside a doctor who examined the minor.

The pastor denied the allegations, claiming he was not present at the time of the incidents and alleging that the victim had memory issues.

The presiding judge, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, found his claims unconvincing and relied on testimonies from the minor, Oyeleke, and the doctor who examined the minor to deliver her judgment.

While delivering the judgement, Justice Abike-Fadipe noted that the pastor lacked remorse and refused to apologise for the crime he committed.

Justice Abike-Fadipe sentenced the pastor to three years imprisonment on the first count and 25 years imprisonment each on the second and third counts, making a total of 25 years imprisonment, with the terms to run concurrently.

The sentence was backdated to December 2019, when he was first remanded in custody. (The Guardian)