An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo, the State capital, has sentenced a pastor, 50-year-old Apostle Williams Okon Bassey, to 49 years in prison for defiling his biological daughter multiple times, leading to incestuous pregnancies on three occasions in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
According to the particulars of the case, the pastor of the Mount Zion Light House Full Gospel Church had subjected his child to illicit abortion three times to cover up evidence.
The mother, who resided in Eket, undertook the task of relieving her daughter of the unwanted pregnancies each time he impregnated and brought the girl to her on the three occasions.
The cleric, who hails from Ikono local government area of the state, in his confessional statements captured in the charge sheet, admitted the crimes.
“I called my daughter to come and scratch my back. As she was scratching my back, I became aroused, my daughter climbed on top of me and I slept with her. That was my first time of sleeping with my daughter and she was about 16 years old then.
“I took her to her mother’s place at Eket. After telling her that our daughter was pregnant, I handed her over to the mother who promised to get rid of the pregnancy. After the pregnancy was terminated, I continued having sex with her each time I had misunderstanding with my wife.
“She became pregnant the second time, and I returned her to the mother who still took her to abort the pregnancy. When she returned the second time, I continued the act, which resulted in the third pregnancy and the mother still took her for abortion,” he said.
The presiding judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang, found him guilty after the protracted case, noting that the prosecution had proven its case beyond all reasonable doubt.
