Man accused of allegedly defiling 12yr old daughter:
A man, Kenneth Okonkwo was on Wednesday accused by his estranged girlfriend of as3xually abusing their 12 year old daughter who had gone to spend the Easter holiday with her father.
The girl’s mother, Ajoke Afolabi a hairdresser, while testifying told an Ikeja High Court that the defendant was her boyfriend who she got pregnant for and subsequently delivered a baby girl for him in 2005.
“When I gave birth to my baby in 2005, he disappeared and I and my mother took full responsibility for the baby.
“I got married when my daughter was five years old and I left her with my mother because she was so attached to my mother. I enrolled her in the best private school and also ensured that she did not lack anything.
“Sometimes in 2015, the defendant saw my sister and enquired about his daughter’s whereabouts. My sister brought him to my mother’s house where he promised to start taking responsibility for his child.
“He paid her school fees for a term and also bought clothes for her. He later came back in April 2015 and told my mother that he would like the girl to come and spend the Easter holiday with him.
“I gave my consent because of his changed in attitude towards his daughter. After the Easter holiday I called him to bring back my daughter but he was not reachable. I later went to his family house and was told by his father that he had taken the child to Onitsha.
“I was still contemplating about the whole issue when I got a letter from the Alausa Mediation Center inviting me to come. I got there only to see him there with my daughter. He asked for custody of his daughter alleging that I was married to another man and that he did not want his child leaving in another man’s house.
“We signed an agreement that that day and he promised to enrol my daughter in a good school and also take care of her. I was shocked when a month later I demanded to see my daughter and he told me that he had enrolled her in a public school in Agege.
“I forcefully took my daughter away. We were invited again by the Mediation Center to settle things. It was while we were arguing there that my daughter opened up to one of the councillors that her father had been molesting her s3xually.
“We were referred to the Isokoko police station where we were referred to the Mirabel Center where tests were carried out and it was discovered that she had been abused.. My daughter was taken away and placed in the Little Saints Orphanage for six months,” Afolabi said.
The defendant is currently being held in the Kirikiri Prisons, while Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye adjourned the matter till July 12 for continuation of trial and hearing of the bail application.
