A 38-year-old man, Linus Akpan, has been remanded in custody at the Kirikiri correctional centre after being charged with the repeated sexual abuse of his biological daughter, aged 16.
The allegations, which first came to light after the teenager confided in a classmate, spanned several months.
Police reports state that in April 2025, Akpan allegedly began by touching his daughter’s body and breasts. The abuse is said to have escalated in December 2025, when he is accused of having full sexual intercourse with her at their home on Igbo Street, Alaba International area, Lagos.
The matter was reported to the Ilemba Hausa Police Division, prompting officers to arrest the suspect. The case was subsequently transferred to the Gender Section of the Lagos State Command for a fuller investigation.
Following interrogation, prosecutors deemed Akpan culpable and brought him before the Ogba Magistrate Court on a single charge of defilement, an offence that carries several years or even life imprisonment under Lagos State law.
The charge sheet read: “That you, Linus Akpan ‘m’, sometime in December 2025, at Igbo Street, Alaba International, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial district, did defile the victim ‘f 16 years old’ by having sexual intercourse with her and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.”
However, the court did not take the defendant’s plea. Prosecutor Inspector Lucky Ihiehie instead asked the magistrate to refer the case to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
Presiding Magistrate Mrs M.O. Tanimola ordered that Akpan be remanded at the Kirikiri Town correctional facility pending the DPP’s advice. She also directed the prosecutor to duplicate the case file and forward it to the DPP without delay.
The matter has been adjourned for mention, at which point the DPP’s advice will determine whether the case falls within the magistrate court’s jurisdiction or must be transferred to the High Court.