A mother, Rhoda Joshua of Karu, has asked a Grade 1 Area Court, Karu, Abuja, to order John Okechukwu, 27, of Nasarawa State to pay her N800,000 as damages for allegedly impregnating her 14-year-old daughter.
Joshua told the court, yesterday, that her daughter, who was a Junior Secondary School 1 student in Nasarawa State, had been in a sexual relationship with Okechukwu since 2016.
She said: “My Lord, my daughter has been seeing this guy since last year, when she was 13 and as a mother I noticed she had started having sex with him.
“I warned her and even beat her to stop it, but instead of bringing home a good school result, she brought this pregnancy home nine months ago.
“I kept cautioning my daughter against the relationship and advised her to face her studies because I am a widow. But she told me the guy said he wanted to marry her.
“He impregnated her while she was still in school so she had to drop out and since she took in, he has never given her even one naira for her or the unborn baby.
“I have been the one taking care of her, the pregnancy and her younger one; and I have no support from anywhere.
“I am pleading with this court to order him to pay me N800,000 in damages for making her drop out of school because of the pregnancy and for not taking any responsibility since my daughter became pregnant and for refusing to marry her.
“He promised to marry her, but since she became pregnant till now that she will soon put to bed, he has refused to even take us to his family members, keep to his promise or take any form of responsibility.”
‘I’m not ready for marriage’
In response, Okechukwu said he was not ready to get married, but will be giving a little sum for the upkeep of the girl.
His words: “My Lord, she will have my baby and that is my responsibility and I will be giving a token toward that.
“Even if I don’t marry her, that baby will make our relationship everlasting. I am also a student and cannot get married now, but I will try and be giving a token for the upkeep of the baby. I am not sure of the future itself.”
Victim’s reaction
While responding to a question from the court if she was ready to get married to the respondent, the victim said she was not willing to get married to him.
She said: “I cannot marry him because he did not keep to his words of getting married to me and taking good care of me since I became pregnant. Rather, he denied me and said he cannot marry me.”
After listening to all involved, the judge, Abdullahi Baba, said the case could only be heard in a customary court.
He ruled: “The issue brought by the plaintiff before this court is centred on marriage and this can only be determined by a customary court of law.
“So, let this case be transferred to the Customary Court in Karu for proper trial.”
The post Mother demands N800,000 as damages for 14-yr-old daughter’s pregnancy appeared first on Vanguard News.
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