The course of justice was served on Thursday as a 52-year-old herbalist, Jacob Alonge, was sentenced to 21 years in prison for raping and impregnating his daughter, Gift, at their home in Ososo village in the Akoko-Edo area of Edo State.
Chief Magistrate D. I. Adamaigbo found him guilty on three counts of rape, repeated sexual assault and shaving off the victim’s pubic hair for fetish purpose.
Seventeen-year-old Gift was sexually abused by her father many times until she became pregnant in 2017.
The herbalist then procured a crude abortion for her before impregnating her a second time in 2018.
Jacob was said to have admitted to the crime and he was handed over to the police.
When Gift became 21-week pregnant, she was taken up by a non-governmental organisation, BraveHearts Initiative, which counselled and registered her for antenatal care.
The NGO was thereafter interfacing with the police at the Ososo Division, where the case was being handled.
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In December 2018, Jacob was arraigned before the court.
Jacob pleaded guilty to all the counts and the matter was adjourned till January 16, 2019 for judgment.
However, tragedy struck on the judgment day.
Gift, two employees of the NGO helping her – Ms Rhoda Braimoh and Ms Promise Ezekiel – the victim’s uncle, Mr Ukere Adagbogu; and the head of Ososo vigilante group, Mr Roland Aiyejina, were involved in a fatal motor accident on their way to the court.
Except Aiyejina, the others lost their lives, including the cab driver.
Because of the accident, the court could not sit as the case was adjourned till January 23, 2019.
The accused, however, changed his plea to not guilty when the matter came up for ruling on the adjourned date.
The trial then started afresh as the prosecution and the defence teams slugged it out in court.
After 11 sittings, Jacob was convicted based on the testimonies of the surviving vigilante, who had interviewed Gift before her death, the doctor who examined her and other prosecution witnesses. [PUNCH]
