By Ita Williams, Calabar
A High Court in Calabar, the Cross River State capital has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the rape of an eight-year-old girl, a case that has exposed a tragic chain of neglect and abuse.
Justice Blessing Egwu delivered the decisive verdict on Tuesday against Mr. Uduak Udo, lamenting the brutal nature of the crime committed in Calabar.
The court detailed a harrowing sequence of events that began with profound parental failure as evidence revealed that the survivor’s mother had forced the child into street hawking instead of enrolling her in school.
Following an incident where the girl spilled her goods, the mother subjected her to physical abuse and ultimately locked her out of their home.
Desperate for shelter, the child sought refuge at the home of a neighbour, Mr. Udo. “He initially allowed her to stay,” the court heard.
However, later that night, Udo bypassed his sleeping wife, went to the parlor where the child was resting, and raped her. The assault was reported to authorities on March 31, 2025.
In her ruling, Justice Egwu imposed the maximum penalty, noting the defendant’s persistent denial of guilt throughout the proceedings.
“Given the lack of any mitigating factors to justify a lesser term, the severity of the crime necessitated the harshest possible sentence,” she declared.
The judge also issued a stern reprimand to the survivor’s mother for her role in exposing the child to grave danger.
Reacting to the judgment, Mr. James Ibor, Principal Counsel of the Basic Rights Council Initiative (BRCI), commended the judiciary and prosecutors.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the judgment, he lauded the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, CP Rashid Afegbua, and the Attorney General, Ededem Ani, for their roles in securing justice.
Ibor vowed that his organization would continue advocating for vulnerable children. “This verdict serves as a stern warning against child abuse,” he stated.
“Today’s judgment is a proof that sexual violence against minors carries severe, uncompromising legal consequences within the state’s justice system.”
