On Thursday, Cross River State High Court Justice Blessing Egwu handed down a 25-year term to one Matthew Sunday Uyangha for his role in an abduction and rape.
A 13-year-old orphan from Akpabuyo, whose name is being withheld for privacy, was kidnapped by Mr Uyangha in July 2022; he drugged her and then took her to Esuk Utan in Calabar, where he raped her repeatedly over two months before he was caught.
On Thursday, Justice Egwu ruled that there was sufficient evidence to convict Mr Uyangha of the two accusations brought against him, both of which bordered on kidnapping and rape.
Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI) head counsel James Ibor Esq. issued a statement applauding the state and the judiciary for their commitment to protecting children in light of the ruling.
According to him, the verdict proved that rapists have no place in Cross River and that the state is serious about upholding the spirit of the Child Rights Law and other such statutes.
Rajunor Tom, Esq., a member of FIDA who worked on the prosecution team, praised the court system and the judge for their gallantry in pursuing justice.
The attorney for NAPTIP, Jacob Oban, Esq., who wrote the organization's brief, also expressed satisfaction with the ruling.
