A 41-year-old man named Baridapsi Needam, originally from Ogani Wily Kaira Community in Ogoni, Rivers State, has been handed a 17-year prison sentence by the Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa. This judgment comes as a result of his despicable act of raping his own daughter, which subsequently led to her becoming pregnant. The victim, a 14-year-old girl in Junior Secondary School 3 at the time, gave birth to a baby girl during the course of the trial.
Tragically, the heinous abuse began after the man’s wife passed away, leaving him alone to care for their children. Needam took advantage of his daughter’s vulnerability and forced her into a horrifying situation where she was made to sleep with him on their marital bed, while her younger brothers were relegated to sleeping on the floor.
The crime came to light in 2022 when members of the Gender Response Initiative Team reported it to the police. Their intervention was prompted by a concerned neighbor who noticed the victim’s pregnancy and suspected that her own father was responsible for this appalling situation.
Needam was convicted of raping his daughter under the Bayelsa State’s Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law of 2021. The court heard that he began sexually abusing his daughter at the age of seven, progressing to full intercourse by 2020, resulting in her pregnancy in 2022.
The prosecution presented DNA evidence confirming his paternity with 99.99% certainty. The judge sentenced him to 14 years in prison, emphasizing the gravity of the crime. State officials and advocates praised the verdict as a deterrent against such heinous acts and commended the support received for ensuring justice was served.
