A 19-year-old girl, identified as Ugo, has publicly detailed years of sexual abuse by her 43-year-old father, Uche Didie, while appealing to authorities not to send him to prison due to concerns over her family’s future.
The victim disclosed that the abuse began in 2019 when she was 12 years old and persisted until September 6, 2026, when she confided in a trusted friend outside the household.
Years of coercion and police intervention
Speaking in a broadcast interview, Ugo shared that her father repeatedly forced himself on her, using threats of physical violence and occasional gifts to enforce secrecy.
“He has been having sexual intercourse with me since 2019. I have never had a boyfriend. My dad is the only man who has had carnal knowledge of me,” she revealed.
The victim explained that she had previously reported the abuse to her mother, who confronted Didie, but he denied the allegations.
The ordeal was finally exposed after Ugo confided in her pastor’s son. Members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) subsequently apprehended the suspect in Ikorodu before transferring him to the Lagos State Police Command’s Gender Unit, led by ACP Oluwatoyin Kazeem.
Despite her father’s arrest, Ugo expressed mixed feelings regarding prosecution, citing concerns for her siblings’ well-being.
“I wanted it to stop, but I want him to be released. I don’t want it to affect our future,” she stated, adding that she intends to relocate to live with relatives in Agege or Egbeda.
Under interrogation, Didie admitted to the intimate involvement but claimed the abuse only began earlier this year.
Legal frameworks on child abuse and victim protection in Nigeria
Under the Lagos State Protection Against Domestic Violence Law and the Child Rights Act, incest and sexual abuse of a minor are classified as serious non-compoundable offences prosecuted by the state.
Legal experts note that state prosecutors handle criminal charges of this nature on behalf of the public, meaning a victim’s plea for leniency does not automatically halt criminal proceedings against an accused perpetrator.
Gender-based violence advocacy organisations emphasise the critical necessity of trauma counselling and safe shelter for young survivors, ensuring that family pressure or financial dependence does not impede justice or long-term recovery.
