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Survivor Narrates To Court How Father Defile Her For 2 Years

A 16-year-old rape survivor on Thursday narrated to a Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court in Ikeja how her 43-year-old biological father, Emmanuel Odega, allegedly defiled her on several occasions.

The survivor, who was testifying in the ongoing trial of her father over Sexual assault and defilement, told the trial judge, Justice Ramon Oshodi that her father started defining her when she was 14 year-old.

While being led in evidence by State Prosecutor, Ms Bukola Okeowo, she alleged that her father claimed that the “holy spirit” instructed him to have sexual intercourse with her.

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The witness said, “I was 14 years when the incident happened. It initially started with him touching my body. When I noticed this, I moved my body from him. I told my twin brother about it the next morning but he did not believe me.

“The next day, he had sex with me at night. I could not shout or do anything because my father threatened me.

“At that night he woke me up and told me that holy spirit told him to have sex with me. I thought he was pulling my legs but when he realized I was not ready to submit myself, that was when he forcefully had sex with me.

“He continued to do so after we moved from where we were and we relocated to wooden short let in Badore, Ajah.

“It was also a time my father had issues with his girlfriend. He woke me up and took me to the kitchen to have sex with me. I dare not make any sound because he threatened to kill me. The reason I could not tell my mother.

“She said that prior to the incident, her mother had relocated to South Africa, noting that his father and mother communicated once in a while but they mostly ended up in a fight,” she testified

She further narrated that her father, who later took her and her twin brother to her girlfriend place in Chevron in Lekki area to live with her, also had sex with her in her house.

The survivor also told the court that her father had asked her to packed out of his girlfriend’s house at midnight but she objected which led to the intervention of neighbours.

“I saw him behind me at midnight telling me to pack my things that I will leave the house that day. As I was packing, I was scared he may have sex with me again so I locked the door from inside.

“After some interventions from the landlord and another old man, I opened the door. He took my bag and dragged me out. It was from there I started shouting for help.

“Some boys in the neighbourhood came out and confronted him that where was he taking me to at the time of the night.

“He told them he is my father that I will not stay in that house again. It was at that time I explained to the other old man that my father had been having sex with me for almost one year,” she alleged.

The survivor further claimed that the oldman called the estate chairman the following morning. The man then asked if I wanted to pursue the case and I told him yes.

She said she had told her father’s girlfriend one aunty Gloria in April 2021 who later got in contact with her mother on Facebook and informed about her the incident.

“The case was later reported at Langbasa Police Station in Ajah after that it was transferred to State Command.

I later went to Gender Police Station and they took me to Mirabel Medical Centre where various tests were carried out.

“I also went for Domestic Sexual Violence Response Agency (DSVRA) for counseling,” she said.

While responding to the defence counsel, Buhari Momoodu, the witness said she had once been raped before her father allegedly had canal knowledge of her.

In her response to the counsel if she had any quarrel with her father she said “No but he said we were not peaceful and he took us to his girlfriend’s place to stay.

“I always saw my father as a role model because people respect him. He always prays and sometimes, he wakes us up at midnight to pray” she said.

Another witness, Dr Oyedeji Alagbe, a forensic examiner at Mirabel Centre told the court that he carried out a medical report on their survivor on June 28 2021.

He said his findings showed no fresh injuries to the vagina but it examination showed that the survivor has had repeated forceful vagina penetration.

Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until June 6 for continuation of the trial.

29th March 2024
Nigerian Pantagraph
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