Man Receives Life Imprisonment for Raping 4-Year-Old Girl in Akwa Ibom

A 32-year-old married man, Akaninyene Sunday Ekwere, has been handed a life imprisonment sentence by a High Court in Akwa Ibom State, Aso Naija Reports.

Ekwere was found guilty of raping a 4-year-old girl in Ikot Ibritam, Oruk Anam LGA of the state.

On Tuesday, February 6, 2024, Ekwere pleaded guilty to the crime of raping the minor, who happens to be his neighbor’s daughter. The court, presided over by Justice Nkereuwem Obot, subsequently convicted and sentenced him.

According to the court proceedings, the trader enticed the young girl to his shop, where he violated her. Ekwere admitted to the act, stating that he had invited the minor to his shop after noticing her playing outside. He confessed to applying vaseline oil to her private parts before committing the rape.

Justice Obot, in delivering the judgment, asserted that Ekwere posed a significant danger to society and should not be allowed to coexist with law-abiding citizens. Consequently, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment, deeming it an appropriate penalty for his heinous crime.