A 16-year-old girl on Thursday narrated before the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Courts, Ikeja, that her 43-year-old biological father, Emmanuel Odega, started defiling her when she was 14.
Reports has it that Odega was arraigned in November 2021 for allegedly raping the victim on a beach and at his girlfriend’s house.
Narrating her ordeals before Justice Ramon Oshodi, when she was led-in- evidence by the State Counsel, Ms. Bukola Okeowo, the survivor said, prior to the incident, her mother had relocated to South Africa in 2014.
She told the court that her father had been having carnal knowledge (sex) of her at the age of 14, noting that the defendant (father) told her that the “holy spirit” instructed him to have sexual intercourse with her.
She 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 shunned and did not believe me.
“The next day, he had sex with me that very night. I could not shout or do anything because my father threatened me.”
The teenager further told the court that, her father continued to sleep with her after they moved from their location and relocated to a wooden apartment in Badore area of Ajah.
“At this point, it became an issue because he had sex with me almost every time on the beach.
“There was a night he woke me up and told me that the holy spirit told him to have sex with me. I thought he was pulling my legs, but when he realised that I was not ready to submit myself, he forcefully had sex with me.
“My father once had issues with his girlfriend, so he woke me up on the night of that day and led me into the kitchen to sleep with me. I dared not make any sound because he threatened to kill me, which was why I could not tell my mother.”
She noted that her father, while claiming that their neighbours were intrusive, took her and her sibling to his girlfriend’s house in Lekki, where he continued to violate her.
She stated that while at the girlfriend’s house, her father suddenly asked her to pack out, but she refused and locked herself in.
“After the interventions of the landlord and another elderly man, I opened the door. He immediately took my bag and dragged me out, so I started shouting for help.
“Some boys in the neighbourhood came out and asked him where he was taking me to at that time of the night.
“He replied that he’s my father and I would not stay in his girlfriend’s house again. It was then I explained to the old man that my father had been having sex with me for almost one year,” the teenager said.
The minor said the resident called the estate chairman and the matter was reported to the police.
On cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mr. Buhari Momoodu, the survivor said she had once been raped before her father allegedly had canal knowledge of her.
In his testimony, the second prosecution witness, a forensic examiner at Mirabel Centre, Dr. Oyedeji Alagbe, told the court that his findings showed no fresh injuries to the vagina, but repeated forceful vagina penetration.
After listening to his testimony, Justice Oshodi adjourned till June 6, for the continuation of trial.
