UYO, Nigeria – July 4, 2026, The Akwa Ibom State High Court, sitting in the Ikot Abasi Division, has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the rape of a thirteen-year-old girl, in a ruling that underscores the judiciary’s firm stance against child sexual abuse.
Justice Ini-Abasi Udobong convicted Israel Emmanuel Jacob on Friday, finding that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt . The court held that the convict committed the offence against a minor who had been sent on an errand by her mother.
According to the prosecution’s case, the victim was sent to a nearby farm to fetch cassava stems for planting . It was there that she encountered Jacob, who falsely accused her of stealing the cassava stems . He threatened to report her to the farm owner unless she agreed to have sexual intercourse with him .
When the child refused, Jacob used force, tearing her underwear and raping her repeatedly . Court documents revealed that the victim cried out for help, but no one came to her rescue . The convict fled the scene after committing the crime but was later apprehended by authorities .
In delivering judgment, Justice Udobong ruled that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to warrant a conviction . He sentenced Jacob to life imprisonment, reflecting the gravity of the offence and aligning with the provisions of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP) Law, which prescribes severe penalties for sexual offences against minors .
The ruling follows a pattern of recent prosecutions in Akwa Ibom State, where courts have handed down significant sentences for sexual offences. In other related rulings, the state high court has previously sentenced a pastor to 49 years for incestuous rape and a father to 24 years for assaulting his two daughters .
