A middle-aged man identified as Mr Owen Akpan, has been arrested by the police in Lagos for sexually abusing his teenage stepdaughter since she was just age nine.
Igbere TV gathered that Mr. Akpan from Akwa Ibom, lives in Sadiku street by Trinity bus stop, Berger Suya, Olodi Apapa, Lagos, where he carried out the illicit act for years.
Akpan was arrested on Saturday morning following the intervention of a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), the Women of Inestimable Values.
The victim (names withheld) was rescued by the NGO while at the verge of committing suicide, after several plea for leniency from her stepfather fell on deaf ears.
Narrating the horror experience under her stepfather’s roof to Igbere TV, the victim said Mr. Akpan started abusing her while she was little.
She said her mother lived separately with them, as she was only made to stay with the stepfather, his brother and her own sister.
She told our correspondent that the stepfather threatens her life if she tells anyone whenever she threatens to report the case.
But Akpan’s luck finally ran out as he was caught pants down penultimate week by the victim’s younger sister, although he denied it.
The victim revealed to Igbere TV how the stepfather got her pregnant. She said she did abortion thrice following the discovery.
She also said whenever she refused to allow the man sleep with her, he beats her, denies her meal and even tied her up and rape her at will.
According to her, on so many occasion she begged the stepfather to stop raping her, but he said she does not have the right to tell him to stop, that he will only stop when he wants to.
The victim
“He started sleeping with me when I was small and even got me pregnant and took me to abort the pregnancy”, she said.
“I didn’t talk then because I thought he would stop as I grew older but he did not,” the 21-year-old victim narrated. She said she just finished secondary school.
She added that the stepfather takes advantage of her whenever she requests for something from him or catches her doing anything “wrong”.
Reacting however, Mr Akpan who did not deny sleeping with her stepdaughter said he did it only twice, but the victim insisted he did it severally.
“I mistakenly made love to her”, he said acting remorseful, “but I have promised myself not to do it anymore.”
“I slept with her twice. I started doing it while she was about 12, but she is currently 20,” Mr Akpan added.
He, however, denied maltreating his stepdaughter He said he gave the victim whatever she demands for at anytime.
Mr. Akpan pleaded to be spared, while blaming the devil for the acts, saying he would not go back to it if given a second chance.
Asked if the victim’s mother is aware of his sexual escapades, Mr. Akpan simply said “yes”.
Igbere TV gathered that the victim’s mother begged the daughter not to tell anybody, ‘in order not to bring shame to the family.’
Although Igbere TV could not immediately speak with the victim’s mother, a statement credited to her said she refused to speak up or report the issue.
The victim’s mom
“The man beats me when I complain, and will always not give us food, or ask me to leave the house, when I try to stop him reason I could not report or tell anybody”, she was quoted as saying.
A representative of the NGO, Ms. Lilian, who spoke to Igbere TV, said the victim was rescued two weeks ago while the stepfather kept evading arrest until he was finally arrested on Saturday.
The case is currently at a Saduke police division, close to where the victim lives. It was gathered that the case will be charged to court.
“As an organisation, we will continue to act, to ensure all victims of rape obtain justice”, Ms. Lilian said.
