Anwana Peter Essien, a Prophet, was found guilty of raping his 10-year-old stepdaughter and was sentenced to 21 years in prison by the Akwa Ibom State High Court, which has its courtroom in Okoita, Ibiono Ibom local government.
On August 9, 2019, the prophet, 37, was found guilty of raping the JSS One student.
When the victim’s mother took her and her younger sister to spend the weekend with their stepfather at his home on Itiam Street in Uyo, that’s when the crime happened.
The defendant, an Afaha Ise native from Ibiono Ibom, admitted during his testimony that a demon “pushed” him to violently have sex with the youngster in the middle of the night.
“I know the victim of this case. She is my wife’s daughter. In the month of August, 2019, she came to my house at Itiam Street, Uyo. I gave her food and she ate then after eating, I told her to remove her clothes but she refused,” he said.
“I forced her and removed her clothes. I was the one that used my hand and removed my penis and forcefully inserted into her vagina and had carnal knowledge of her. When I was having sex with her, I did not use any condom”.
In his judgement, Presiding Judge, Justice Okon Okon held that the confession was, “direct, positive and unequivocal that the randy stepfather had sexual intercourse with his step daughter.”
“The parameters established for the proof of rape, have all been satisfied by the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, including the victim and the medical doctor who examined her, fortified by the confessional statement voluntarily made by the accused person himself.
“It is most despicable and depressing, that the supposed man of God overpowered and defiled an innocent child of about ten years who is incidentally, his own stepdaughter.
“The defendant lacks any claim of moral rectitude having thrown over board, the limits of his liberties by shamelessly stripping and polluting the dignity, chastity and sanctity of his step daughter’s body and totally disregarding her under age status”.
Justice Okon found Anwana Essien guilty as charged and accordingly convicted him, adding that the 21 years imprisonment is with effect from when the convict was taken into custody in the Custodial Centre, Uyo.
The convict however begged the court to release him, as he has a son that has nobody to take care of him.
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