An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced a pastor, Apostle Williams Okon Bassey, to 49 years in prison for r@ping and impregnating his teenage daughter. Justice Bassey delivered the judgment on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
Bassey, of Mount Zion Lighthouse Full Gospel Church, Uyo, was arrested at his residence on Ibanga Street on November 7, 2019. Police paraded him alongside four other men—Nsikan Udo, Iniobong Moses, Saviour Ukpong, and Festus Etuk—who were also arrested for r@pe and incest.
The victim revealed that her father started having s3xual intercourse with her when she was just 13 years old. The continuous abuse led to three pregnancies, all of which were aborted by her mother. She added that her father always demanded s3x before paying her school fees or meeting her needs.
Bassey confessed to the crime but claimed the abuse started when his daughter was 16. “I called my daughter to come and scratch my back. As she was scratching my back, I became tipsy. My daughter climbed on top of me and I f3cked her. That was my first time sleeping with my daughter, and she was about 16 years old then,” the pastor confessed. “I took her to her mother’s place in Eket after telling her that our daughter was pregnant. I handed her over to the mother, who promised to get rid of the pregnancy. After the pregnancy was terminated, I continued having s3x with her each time I had a misunderstanding with my wife. She became pregnant the second time. I still returned her to the mother, who still took her to abort the pregnancy. When she returned the second time, I continued the act of s3xing her, which resulted in the third pregnancy, and the mother still took her for abortion.”
The court found Bassey guilty on multiple counts of r@pe and incest, sentencing him to 49 years in prison without the option of a fine. The judge emphasized the severity of the crime, noting the breach of trust and the lasting trauma inflicted on the victim.
