KINGSLEY EBERE
A cleric, Prophet Anwana Peter Essien, of the Restoration Bible Church, located at Itiam Street, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, will be spending the next 21 years in prison after the ‘devil’ pushed him to defile his 10-year old step-daughter.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the judgment of the Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo, which jailed Prophet Essien over the dastardly act under the Criminal Law of the State.
The Prophet, Essien, who is a native of Afaha Ise, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area in the State, was arrested and charged before the Court for defiling the victim, a JSS 1 student on 9th August, 2019.
The victim’s mother brought her and her younger sister for holidays to their stepfather’s house and he defiled her by having carnal knowledge of her.
The convict, Prophet Essien, in his evidence, admitted to the crime saying that the “devil pushed him at midnight to forcefully have a carnal knowledge of his step-daughter”.
Delivering his judgement, the Presiding Judge, Justice Okon Okon, who condemned the act, held that the confession was direct and unequivocal that the convict committed the crime.
He stated that the evidence of prosecution witnesses such as the medical report and the confessional statements have proven beyond every reasonable doubt that the convict was guilty of the crime.
The Court found him guilty as charged and sentenced him accordingly.
However, while committing him to prison for 21 years, Justice Okon said that it was with effect from the time the convict was taken into custody at the Uyo Custodial Centre, where he will spend several years.