Father remanded for defiling, infecting daughter with HIV in Anambra

A Children, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Offences Court in Awka, Anambra State, has remanded a 46-year-old bricklayer, Rapuruchukwu Ezenandu, over the alleged defilement of his 17-year-old daughter and the transmission of HIV to her.

The defendant is facing a one-count charge of defilement.

Police Prosecutor Insp. Chinyere Okechukwu told the court that the accused committed the offence at Umudala village, Nanka community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Okechukwu said the matter came to light in April when the girl’s uncle visited the village and took her to Lagos to continue her education, adding that during the school admission process, medical authorities discovered she was HIV positive.

Upon interrogation, the prosecutor said, the girl disclosed that her father had been having sexual relations with her since she was 15 years old. The uncle subsequently returned her to the village and confronted the accused, who reportedly admitted to the acts and to infecting his daughter with HIV.

The matter was later reported to the police, where the accused further admitted he had been aware of his HIV status and had been receiving medication, Okechukwu said.

She told the court that the offence is punishable under Section 3(2) of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition and Protection Law of Anambra State, 2017, and prayed that the accused be remanded at a correctional facility as provided under Section 130(2)(a)(b) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2022.

The accused pleaded for mercy before the court, attributing the acts to the devil and admitting he had lost count of how many times he violated his daughter.

Chief Magistrate Mrs U.E. Onochie ordered that Ezenandu be remanded at the Awka Correctional facility and adjourned the case until June 17 for hearing.