A Lagos-based man has been remanded in custody after being charged with defiling and impregnating his 16-year-old stepdaughter in a case that has triggered nationwide outrage. The suspect, whose name is being withheld to protect the victim’s identity, appeared before an Ikeja Magistrate Court where prosecutors detailed how he allegedly abused his position of trust to repeatedly assault the minor over several months.
According to court documents, the crime came to light when the teenager’s school authorities noticed physical changes and reported their suspicions to child welfare officers. A subsequent medical examination confirmed the pregnancy, leading to the man’s arrest by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA).
Gender rights activists have seized on the case to demand stricter enforcement of Nigeria’s Child Rights Act and harsher punishments for sexual offenders. “This is another heartbreaking example of how vulnerable children are being betrayed by those supposed to protect them,” said a representative from the Mirabel Centre, Lagos’s foremost sexual assault referral clinic.
The case has also reignited debates about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s justice system in handling gender-based violence cases, particularly those involving family members. The defendant will remain in custody pending further hearings, while the teenage victim is receiving medical and psychological support from state agencies.
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