Man Sentenced To 25 years Imprisonment For Abducting And R*ping 13-Year-Old Orphan In Calabar
Matthew Uyangha was given a 25-year prison term by the Calabar Division of the Cross River High Court for kidnapping and raping a 13-year-old orphan in Cross River State.
On Thursday, July 20, 2023, Justice Blessing Egwu condemned Uyangha.
The orphan was drugged and taken from the Akpabuyo Local Government Area to someplace in Esuk Utan in the Calabar Municipality by the r*pist.
There, for two months, he repeatedly violated his victim before being apprehended by members of the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Delivering her judgement, Mrs. Egwu held that the evidence against Mr. Uyangha was overwhelming, finding him guilty of a two-count charge bordering on abduction and r*pe.
Reacting to the judgement, James Ibor, Principal Counsel of Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, BRCI, commended the State and Judiciary for their determination to keep children safe.
“The judgment showed that there is no place for r*pists in Cross River as the judgment is a strong statement that the State is willing to uphold the true spirit of the Child Rights Law among others,” Ibor stated.
He also commended the Ministry of Justice, the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, for their roles in upholding justice for the minor.