75-Year-Old Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Defiling 11-Year-Old Girl in Rivers State

A 75-year-old man, Promise Chukwumatti, has been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment by the Rivers State Family Court in Port Harcourt for the defilement of an 11-year-old girl.

Justice Rita Oguguo, the presiding judge, convicted Chukwumatti after the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The evidence presented included oral testimonies, the defendant’s confessional statement, as well as forensic and physical exhibits.
“The convict is a shame to fatherhood,” Justice Oguguo remarked during sentencing on Tuesday.

Although the offence attracts a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, the judge exercised leniency considering Chukwumatti’s plea for mercy and the need to protect the welfare of his motherless children.

In addition to the prison term, the court ordered that Chukwumatti’s name be entered into the Rivers State sex offenders register. He was also directed to pay N1 million in compensation to the victim’s family. A restraining order was issued, barring the convict and his family members from approaching the victim or her family.

Prosecutor Precious Ordu had told the court that Chukwumatti repeatedly defiled the minor in his apartment after luring her with money while she was on her way to school.

The case has drawn attention to the persistent issue of child sexual abuse in the state, with stakeholders calling for stricter enforcement of laws protecting minors.