Calabar, Oct. 9, 2024 (TheGavel) – A 47-year-old man, Ita Okon, has been sentenced to life in prison by a Family Court in Calabar for the rape of an eight-year-old girl. The presiding judge, Justice Blessing Egwu, also ordered Okon to pay N1 million in compensation to the survivor.
In her ruling, Justice Egwu emphasized that the sentence serves as a deterrent to others contemplating similar heinous acts. She stated, “The penalty imposed reflects the gravity of the crime and aims to prevent future occurrences of such violence.”
Mr. James Ibor, Principal Counsel of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative—an NGO that played a key role in securing the conviction—praised the judgment as a significant victory against violence toward women and girls. He expressed hope that the ruling would contribute to the ongoing fight against rape and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Cross River State and across Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) notes that the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, which was domesticated in Cross River in 2021, prescribes life imprisonment for anyone convicted of rape, underscoring the state’s commitment to combatting such offenses. (NAN)
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