A Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court has sentenced 45-year-old pastor Ndukwe Ogbu to 53 years imprisonment for repeatedly sexually assaulting his 14-year-old daughter, with the judge condemning his complete lack of remorse throughout the trial.
Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe delivered the scathing judgment on Monday at the Ikeja court, convicting Ogbu on three counts of sexual assault, sexual assault by penetration, and defilement after a trial that began in February 2021.
“The evidence presented leaves no room for doubt. The convict’s actions are reprehensible, and justice must be served,” Justice Abike-Fadipe declared, rejecting Ogbu’s plea for mercy based on having other children to care for.
The court heard harrowing testimony from the victim, now 15, who described systematic abuse in their two-bedroom apartment: “He would come into my room naked, remove my clothes, and force himself on me. He threatened me not to tell anyone.”
Prosecution witnesses included social worker Femi Oyeleke who reported the case, the victim herself, and a medical doctor whose examination corroborated the abuse. The victim revealed she eventually confided in a schoolteacher, triggering the investigation.
Ogbu maintained his innocence with what the judge called “unconvincing” claims of absence during the incidents and attempts to discredit his daughter’s mental state. He admitted his other children lived with their grandmother following his wife’s death.
Justice Abike-Fadipe imposed consecutive sentences of 3 years, 25 years and another 25 years to run concurrently – meaning 25 years total – backdated to December 2019 when Ogbu was first remanded.
