47-year-old man has been sentenced to  life imprisonment for rape in Cross River

Honorable Justice Blessing Egwu has sentenced a 47-year-old man, Ita Okon to life imprisonment for defiling an 8-year-old minor.

Ita Okon was convicted at the Family Court 2 sitting in Calabar yesterday after being found guilty of the crime.

In addition to the life sentence, the Court also awarded a compensation of one million Naira against Okon.

Justice Egwu said the sentence should serve as a big lesson to others who may perpetuate such crime.

She warned against exposure of minors to criminally minded persons, saying parents and guardians should do all that is possible to protect their children.

Principal Counsel of Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), Barr. James Ibor, whose NGO secured the conviction, said the violence against women must end.

He hailed the judgement as a great feat in the fight against the menace.