I’m innocent, says man accused of defiling his two daughters

By Osagie Otabor, Akure

Femi Onifade, a 48-year old man who was accused of defiling two of his daughters aged between six and nine has denied having carnal knowledge of them.

Onifade, who was paraded before journalists on Monday, said his daughters could have been defiled by an outsider.

He said it was not possible for him to rape his children because it was a taboo in Yoruba land.

Speaking in local dialect, Onifade said he used to have quarrel with his wife several times which made him to send her out the night he was accused of committing the act.

On why the children cried throughout the night, he said they were missing their mother.

Onifade said he went to the Palace of the Deji of Akure to swear an oath if he was involved in the defilement of his children.

“I used to have quarrel with my wife several times. We have a clash at about 11pm and because of curfew I didn’t want her to take the children with her. I insisted the children remain with me. My wife left and did not come back.

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“I went to her family to report and her family begged me. He said the wife came back two days later and asked him about what happened to the children when she saw their vagina. I saw that she has naked them. My wife accused me of sleeping with the children. I said I could not have done it because it is a taboo in Yoruba land. I am not happy because I was accused of what I did not do. I went to the Palace to swear to an oath for people to believe me.

“I don’t drink and I don’t smoke. It is a lie. I cannot sleep with my children. The rape could have been from outside and not me. He said he didn’t know about it until the wife saw something in the daughters’ vagina.

“The children were crying because they did not see their mother that night. My children used to cry whenever my wife and I are fighting. It was a neighbour that told my wife that one of the girls cried till day break.”

He swore for God to punish him if he knew anything about it

But his wife, Tope Onifade, who vowed that nothing would make her return to the marriage, said her husband told her it was dysentery in their daughters’ vagina when she raised alarm on what she saw.

Tope said the children told her that their father inserted something into their vagina and also put his mouth into them.

She said they have been married for 11 years.

According to her, “The day we had quarrel, my husband did not allow sleep in the house. I asked neighbours to beg him for me but my husband said I should go. He did not allow me take any of my daughters. I had to find somewhere to sleep. The next day, the neighbours called me to say one of her daughters cried all through the night.

“It was the neighbours that begged me to come back home. I came back and in the night. I noticed something in one of the child’s private part. I asked my husband and he told me it was dysentery.

“I woke up the eldest daughter and asked her what was it inside the little daughter. She said it is their father. The children said their father used to put something inside their private part.

“I insisted on what exactly was being put inside their vagina, the children said their father threatened to beat them.”

She said the children said their father put his mouth in their private part.

“When my husband noticed that I reported to my family, he went to the Deji of Akure Palace and reported that he was being wrongly accused.

“We have frequent sexual intercourse. This thing has never happened before. The test showed both children have been disvirgin.

She said she would not want her husband jailed but she can’t return to the marriage.

“I am not happy with what happened because of the future of the children.”

Spokesman for the Ondo Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) ASC Omole Olufemi said the suspect would soon be charged to court.