- Another man in Enugu violates eight-month-old daughter
Although there has been a surge in bizarre sexual attacks against vulnerable persons; yet not a few were shell shocked when news of a man who allegedly violated his eight months old daughter made the rounds.
On Tuesday, February 4, an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court ordered the remand of the 54-year-old Michael Uduigwome, in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre for allegedly defiling his eight-month-old daughter.
Uduigwome, who lives on Rasaq Balogun St., Surulere, Lagos State, was charged with defilement.
The Chief Magistrate, O A Layinka, who did not take his plea ordered that the case file should be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
Layinka adjourned the case until April 30 for DPP advice.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp Lucky Ihieme told the court that Uduigwome committed the offence sometime in October 2023 at his residence. Ihieme alleged that Uduigwome defiled his own baby (name withheld) when she was in his care.
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravenes Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015. If convicted, he is liable to life imprisonment as provided for in the criminal code.
In April 2016, a non governmental organization, Tamar Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Tamar SARC, expressed concern over the activities of rapists in Enugu State.
Executive Director of the Women Aid Collective, WACOL, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, SAN, who disclosed this at a media forum, gave a graphic detail of some of the cases.
Expressing concern over the development, Ezeilo disclosed that: “On the 21st of March 2016, an eight-month old infant, referred to Tamar SARC from a State owned hospital was brought to the center by her mother to report serial defilement by her father in Emene.
“The mother detailed her husband’s strange behavior. She explained that she observed that her husband often had an erection when he carried his daughter on his lap. She also mentioned that her husband would purposefully send her out of the house to be alone with the daughter in a locked room.
“Though her daughter cannot yet speak, she noticed that her daughter would let out loud shouts of pain when alone with Mr. N. Her suspicions were heightened on 20th of March 2016 due to an incident that she described in detail: ‘I was feeding the baby when my husband who was eating outside came in complaining that he was disturbed by flies. He then told me to go and get his cup of water and leave the baby with him. While I was returning I heard the girl scream and cry. When I asked him what happened he explained that he had scared our daughter with a grin (facial expression).’”
The case, according to her, has been reported to the police.
Giving insight into other cases, Ezeilo asked: “What do a 9 year old girl and a 78 year old man have in common? On first look, one might suggest a familial connection in the form of granddaughter and grandfather. Unfortunately, these two had a relationship that took a sinister turn.
“On the 10th of June 2015, client 285, a minor, came to Tamar SARC, the sexual assault referral center managed by Women Aid Collective (WACOL) and funded by Justice for All (J4A), to report her sexual assault committed by Mr. W. O.
“She narrated her ordeal to Tamar SARC highly trained medical professionals alleging that her 78 year old landlord used threats and intimidation to subdue her before committing the wicked act. Mr. O. invited her to his flat while he was alone, stripped her naked and defiled her.
“In the girl’s words, ‘He used his hands first, to rub my vagina and later, his mouth to have oral sex with me before penetrating inside me. He told me that, though his penis is big, he has to use it on me anyway, and he had sex with me in my vagina and my anus.’”
“Immediately after the act, the girl was bleeding profusely and Mr. O. tried to stop the bleeding by cleaning her vagina with his handkerchief and shirt, before his wife came in unexpectedly.
“Client 285 recalled, ‘While he was cleaning me up, the wife came knocking at the door. The wife’s knock was so loud that he later opened the door and the wife asked me what the husband did, and I told her.”
The Conclave/Daily Post
