My ex-husband raped our 12-year-old daughter, woman tells court

                               

“My former husband, Kenneth Okonkwo, defiled our 12-year-old daughter when she visited him during last Easter holiday,” Ajoke Afolabi, a hairdresser, has told an Ikeja High Court.The estranged wife made the revelation while being led in evidence by the state prosecutor, Mr. Akin George, at the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday.Ajoke said

although Okonkwo was responsible for the pregnancy that produced the girl, he disappeared immediately she gave birth in 2005.She said, “Okonkwo disappeared when I gave birth to the baby in 2005. I and my mother took full responsibility for the baby.“I left her with my mother because she was so attached to her grandmother and I later enrolled her in a private school and also ensured that she did not lack anything.“Okonkwo made efforts to be involved in the upbringing of our daughter in 2015.“Sometime in 2015, the defendant saw my sister and inquired 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 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 attitude toward his daughter and 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 Okonkwo had taken the child to Onitsha.“I was still contemplating the whole issue when I got a letter from the Alausa Mediation Centre inviting me to come for a mediation session.“I got there, only to see him there with my daughter.“He demanded full custody of his daughter, alleging that I had married another man and that he did not want his child to live in another man’s house.“We signed an agreement that day and he promised to enroll 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 and we were invited again by the Mediation Centre to settle our issues.“It was while we were arguing at the Mediation Centre that my daughter opened up to one of the counselors that her father had been molesting her sexually.“We were referred to the Isokoko Police Station, where we were further referred to the Mirabel Centre where tests were carried out and it was discovered that she had been sexually abused.

“My daughter was taken away and placed in the Little Saints Orphanage for six months.”Okonkwo is currently being remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons.Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye adjourned the case till July 12 for the continuation of trial and hearing of Okonkwo’s bail application.

(NAN)