A former member of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Honourable Patrick Uguge has been arrested for allegedly defiling a 19-year-old niece staying with his family. Hon. Patrick Uguge represented Ogoja State Constituency between 2007 to 2015.
The suspect allegedly committed the crime at a hotel in Ogoja on April 21, 2023.
The arrest of Hon. Patrick Uguge was confirmed by the Cross River Commissioner of Police , Balarabe Sule.
Giving the details of situation, Human Rights lawyer, James Ibor of Basic Right Council Initiative (BRCI) who decried the alarming rate of rape in the confirmed that the said incident is reported to have occurred April 21, 2023.
“A young girl, 19-years old, walked into our office, and alleged that her daddy, (because she calls the man her daddy, having lived with him for about three years now). She (the victim) is a Niece to the man known as Right Honourable Patrick Uguge. Uguge was a two-term House of Assembly member who represented Ogoja state constituency between 2007 to 2015.
“The victim alleged that on the 21st day of April, 2023, the man raped her in a hotel at Ogoja. When the girl came to us , we had to verify and confirm her story, we put up a petition to the Police, and they have commenced investigation and taken custody of the man.
“Rape is a felony and the rate of sexual abuse is alarming, so we need to protect the female gender from predators. We are in touch with the girls parents, who have confirmed that the suspect was still a virgin before she was raped,” Barrister Ibor said.
