LAGOS, Nigeria – A 35-year-old man, Michael Igbaniba, has been arrested by the Isokoko Police Division in the Agege area of Lagos for allegedly sexually abusing his 15-year-old daughter over a two-year period, resulting in a pregnancy that was subsequently terminated.
The suspect was taken into custody after his daughter, a Junior Secondary School 2 student, reported the abuse to the police on Sunday. She stated that the abuse began immediately after she moved into his residence.
According to the trending CCTV video and the victim, her father had fathered her out of wedlock when he was 20 years old. He later brought her to live with him and his wife following advice from friends and relatives, reportedly because his marriage was childless.
The teenager told investigators that her father threatened to stop paying her school fees if she refused his advances or disclosed the abuse to anyone. “I reluctantly allowed him because of my love for education until I could not bear it anymore and also because I was ashamed to reveal it to anybody because he is my father,” she stated.
During preliminary investigations, police discovered that the minor had become pregnant as a result of the abuse, and the pregnancy was allegedly aborted with her father’s assistance. The victim also reported the abortion to her church pastor, but her father subsequently stopped her from attending church. watch video
During interrogation, the suspect admitted to the allegations. I did it because I wanted more children,” he said. “I was advised by friends to bring her to live with me and my wife, because of our inability to have a child since we got married. The same friends advised I slept with my daughter that my wife would get pregnant in the process.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, confirmed the arrest and stated that the suspect is being interrogated at the Family Unit of Isokoko Division. The Commissioner of Police has ordered a thorough investigation into the matter. The suspect would be prosecuted if found culpable at the end of investigation,” Oti said.
