A Family Court sitting in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, has sentenced a 41-year-old man, Endurance Ime, to life imprisonment for the rape of an 11-year-old girl.

The landmark judgment was delivered on Tuesday by Family Court II, presided over by Justice Blessing Egwu. The court found Ime guilty of the offence following a rigorous legal battle, bringing a sigh of relief to child rights advocates and residents of the state.

The successful prosecution and conviction of the convict were secured through the intervention of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), a non-governmental organisation that has been at the forefront of protecting and advocating for the rights of vulnerable children and women across the state.

Reacting to the judgment, the Principal Counsel of BRCI, James Ibor, Esq., commended the judiciary for standing firm in the interest of justice. He said the ruling serves as a powerful deterrent to potential child predators operating within the state and the country at large.

“We express our sincere appreciation to the Nigerian Army (13 Brigade, Calabar), the Nigeria Police Force, Cross River State Command, the Attorney-General of Cross River State, Etubom Ededem Ani, and the staff and volunteers of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative for the invaluable support they provided to the investigators and the child throughout the course of this case,” Ibor stated.

The human rights lawyer also singled out Okoi Ukam, Esq., and Mrs Linda Asuquo for their exceptional dedication to the case.

He noted that their collaborative efforts were instrumental in ensuring that the legal process was seamless and that the young victim received full justice.

Furthermore, the BRCI boss extended his gratitude to the Cross River State Government under the current administration. He commended the state’s commitment to creating a safe environment for minors and ensuring that perpetrators of gender-based violence face the full weight of the law.

Legal pundits and social workers have described the verdict as a major victory against the menace of child defilement, which has remained a critical issue in national discourse. The swift disposition of the case has also been praised as a testament to the growing efficiency of specialised Family Courts in Nigeria.

With this latest ruling, the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative has now successfully secured six convictions in the past six months in Cross River State alone.

This streak underscores the organisation’s intensified crackdown on child abuse and its push for stricter implementation of the Child Rights Act. (TRIBUNE)