Pastor bags 49 yrs imprisonment for impregnating daughter in A/ Ibom
By Idun Maximus
Akwa Ibom state High Court presided by Justice Bassey Nkanang has sentenced Apostle Williams Okon Bassey to 49 years imprisonment for impregnating his 16 years old daughter for three consecutive times and aborted the pregnancy .
It was gathered that Bassey who lived with the daughter in Ikono local government area of the state in his pastoral duties committed the crime at different times and sent the daughter to his wife that lives outside the church in Eket local government area .
According to the Judge, investigation revealed that each time the convict impregnated the daughter , he would send the girl to her mother and informed her that the daughter was pregnant before the mum terminated the pregnancy and sent the girl back the her father at his station .
Nkanang said during the third time, the mother raised alarm interrogating the daughter to find out who was responsible for the pregnancy and she mentioned her father.
The pastor while admitting to the crime told the court how he lured the girl and had an intercourse with which resulted in all the pregnancies
“I called my daughter to come and scratch my back, as she was scratching my back, I felt like sleeping , my daughter climbed on top of me and I fucked her.
“That was my first time of sleeping with my daughter and she was about 16 years old then.
“I took her to the mother’s place in 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 have misunderstanding with my wife.
“She became pregnant the second time. I still returned her to the mother who still took her to abort the pregnancy.
“When she returned the second time, I continued the act of sexing her which resulted in the third pregnancy and the mother still took her for abortion”, the convicted man of God confessed.
Delivering judgement, Justice Nkanang sentenced the man of God to 49 years imprisonment.
“In consideration of the above analysis therefore, the sole issue for.determination in this case is hereby resolved in favour of the prosecution and it is the holding of this court that the allegations of rape and incest have been proven beyond reasonable doubt and the defendant is accordingly convicted in respect of the charges of rape and incest.
“The clear consequence of this therefore is that the defendant, APOSTLE WILLIAM OKON BASSEY is hereby found guilty of the offences of rape and incest contrary to and punishable respectively under section 367 and 242 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap.’38, Volume 2, Laws of Akwa Ibom State Of Nigeria, 2000 and is accordingly convicted” .
