Incest: Police in A'Ibom arrests father for raping daughter

By Ani Michael

A team of Nigeria Police, Eket division led by Eket Division Police Officer, Mr. Sunday Digha, on Friday April 24, 2020 arrested one Mr. Godwin Jeremiah, from Ikot Udota, Eket Akwa Ibom State for allegedly having carnal knowledge of his 13-year-old daughter.

The suspect, according to Emem Jeremiah, a Junior Secondary School(JSS) 1 student, severally molested and had sexual relationship with her.

The arrest of Mr. Jeremiah, a mason, was led by the Police DPO in charge of Eket, Mr. Sunday Digha with the support of the wife of the executive chairman of Eket local government area, Mrs Bright Archibong and International Federation of Women Lawyers(FIDA) a non-governmental and non-profit organization made up of women lawyers called to practise law in Nigeria.

According to the victim, Miss Emem Goodwin Jeremiah, the father started the illicit act with her since last year and since then, the father slept with her almost every night and sometimes forced her to have sex with his friend, one Michael, an indigene of Ikot Udoma, Eket.

Emem Jeremiah, said the abuse of her person by her father started in 2019, saying she reported the incident to her stepmother and was mercilessly beaten by her father and she left the house.

"My father forcefully abused me sexually beginning from 2019, this occurred almost on a daily basis, irrespective of my resistance due to pains and injury I sustained from the ungodly act. First, I reported the case to my step mother because my mother is late. She confronted my father but she was beaten and this led to her fleeing from my father's house with my stepsister

"When it was becoming unbearable, I ran and reported to the police which led to his first arrest but due to the intervention of my aunty, who did not believe my story, he was released on bail.

"After his released, I did not have any option than to return back to the house and stayed with my father.

"The matter grew from bad to worst. It was the darkest moment in my life. At night, my father did not allow me to sleep, he forcefully abused me throughout the night, it was on daily basis.

"Since nobody was there to help, I decided to run away from my father's house to an unknown destination", she wept profusely while narrating her ordeals.

She expressed optimism that with the intervention of Mrs Bright Frank Archibong and Akwa Ibom State chapter of FIDA, led by Barr. Emem Ette, that justice would come her way and that of other females in the state who are experiencing sexual harassment.

It would be recalled that Mrs Bright Archibong wrote on her facebook timeline penultimate week, and warned men from sexually harassing girls in Eket and Akwa Ibom State.
Mr. Sunday Digha, Eket DPO said the matter would be charge to court after proper investigation.