“Lust” Made Me Do It – Adamawa Father Pleads Guilty to Impregnating Daughter

“Lust” Made Me Do It – Adamawa Father Pleads Guilty to Impregnating Daughter

In a deeply disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community, an Upper Area Court in Ganye Local Government Area of Adamawa State has ordered the remand of a man who admitted to impregnating his own biological daughter. The defendant, Jediel Sylvester, pleaded guilty to charges of incest, criminal intimidation, and assault, attributing his actions to “lust” in open court. Presiding Judge, Hon. Kabiru Musa, ordered the defendant’s detention in a correctional facility pending further proceedings on Monday, following Sylvester’s unreserved guilty plea to the three-count charge brought against him under the Penal Code Law of Adamawa State.

The case, marked UACG/NO1/CR/FI/113/26, was initiated through a direct criminal complaint filed by the victim and her uncle, Mohammed Audi, under Section 111 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Adamawa State, 2018. The complainants were represented by their counsel, Abdulrahman Njidda. According to the testimony of Mohammed Audi, who is the brother of the victim’s mother, Sylvester is legally married to his sister and had been living with the family when the alleged abuse began. Audi told the court that Sylvester had repeatedly sexually abused his daughter over a period of time, culminating in a visible pregnancy that could no longer be hidden.

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The court heard harrowing testimony from the young victim, who revealed that her father routinely subjected her to physical beatings and psychological intimidation before forcing himself on her. She stated that he regularly threatened her to ensure her compliance and silence, creating an atmosphere of fear that made it difficult for her to speak out earlier. The turning point in the case came when Sylvester himself took the girl to a medical practitioner after she complained of missing her menstrual period. A clinical examination confirmed she was about three months pregnant, corroborating the allegations of sexual abuse and leaving no doubt about the nature of the offence committed.

In a bid to evade justice, the prosecution alleged that Sylvester pressured his daughter to accuse another man of being responsible for the pregnancy. However, the victim reportedly insisted that no other person had ever had sexual intercourse with her, firmly identifying her father as the sole perpetrator and refusing to be coerced into making a false accusation. Further revelations emerged that Sylvester allegedly attempted to procure an illegal abortion for his daughter in a desperate attempt to destroy the evidence of his crime. However, medical practitioners advised against the procedure on grounds that the pregnancy had advanced to three months, making termination medically unsafe and potentially life-threatening for the young girl. The victim herself reportedly rejected the suggestion, describing it as dangerous and morally wrong, and chose instead to let the truth come to light.

The complainants maintained that the defendant’s conduct constitutes offences of incest, criminal intimidation, and assault, contrary to Sections 367, 382, and 242 of the Penal Code Law of Adamawa State. When the charges were read and interpreted to him in open court, Sylvester pleaded guilty without any reservation, and in a shocking statement, he attributed his despicable actions to “lust” — a remark that drew widespread condemnation from court observers and legal practitioners present at the proceedings.

Following his admission, Presiding Judge Kabiru Musa ordered the immediate remand of the defendant in a correctional facility, where he will remain while the case is being concluded. The case has been adjourned for further proceedings, with legal experts predicting a stringent sentence given the gravity of the offence and the explicit guilty plea entered by the defendant. The case has also reignited public discourse on the rising cases of sexual violence and incest in Nigeria, with many calling for stricter enforcement of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, which criminalizes sexual relations with close relatives and provides for severe penalties. As the community of Ganye grapples with the horror of this incident, many hope that the court will deliver justice that serves as a strong deterrent to others who might contemplate similar acts of depravity against vulnerable members of their own families.

“Lust” Made Me Do It – Adamawa Father Pleads Guilty to Impregnating Daughter