Court jails herbalist who used 17 years old daughter as sex slave for years

BENIN, Edo, Nigeria – A magistrate court sitting in Evboriaria on Thursday sentenced one Jacob, a 52 year old herbalist to 21 years jail for turning her 17 year old daughter, Gift into a sex slave for several years.

The jail terms are to run concurrently says Justice D.I Adamaigbo of Evboriaria Chief Magistrate court. Jacob, the herbalist was convicted for five years on the first count of possession of fetish wrap of Gift’s pubic hair; two years for raping and impregnating her and 14 years for repeated sexual assault.

Earlier, during the hearing, the prosecution averred that the convict raped his daughter, Gift, severally at their home in Ososo village, Akoko-Edo and instructed her never to sleep with any other man. He told the court that Jacob who impregnated Gift also procured abortion for her and shaved her pubic hair for ritual purposes.

According to the prosecution, Gift however died along with four others in an auto-crash along Benin-Auchi highway, while traveling from Ososo to Benin on her way to attend hearing at the court.

According to the prosecutor, the dead in that accident includes Gift, her uncle and two workers of BraveHeart Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, helping Gift with the case, and the cab driver.

But after learning of the auto crash, Jacob who had earlier pleaded guilty to the counts changed his plea to not guilty.