Girl, 14, accuses soldier-father of defilement

A fifty-year-old man was yesterday arraigned before an Abakaliki Family Law Centre for allegedly defiling his 14-year-old daughter.

The man, John Ude, a corporal with the Nigerian Army, was accused of committing the offence in 2010.

The victim (name withheld) told the Chairman of the Centre that her father sexually abused her and caused her physical, emotional and psychological damage.

"He usually threatens to kill me anytime I resisted his sexual advances,'' she said, adding that "he once used his military belt on me for daring to show some resistance.

The girl said she constantly pass out urine mixed with blood as a result of the sexual abuse.

The estranged wife of the suspect, Mrs. Chinyere Ude, confirmed the viginal discharge, saying she was unable to give her daughter medical treatment due to lack of funds.

"She (daughter) told me how her father abused her in 2010. Frequent viginal discharge made me to believe her,'' she said.

The mother appealed to the Centre to prevail on the estranged husband to provide funds for the treatment of her daughter.

She also prayed the Centre to grant her custody of the four children she had with the suspect to save them from abuse.

The Chairman of the Centre, Mrs. Elizabeth Nwali, said the Centre would liaise with the Ude family to provide medical treatment for the victim.

She ordered that the suspect be brought before the Centre to hear his part of the story.

"I have listened carefully to the victim and I will not proceed any further in this matter until the accused is brought before me in line with justice and fair hearing,'' she said, and adjourned the case to Nov. 11.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Ebonyi government established the Family Law Centre to provide alternative legal solutions to disputes from families.