Nigerian former footballer, Godwin Okpara who is serving a jail term in a French prison over a reported case of child abuse and rape, has lost his 18 years old second child, Sean Okpara. He died yesterday morning.
According to a family source who disclosed the incident to our correspondent, Master Sean, late son of the former footballer was suffering from cancer for some years before he finally gave up the ghost in Hospital Gustave Roussy in Villejuf, France Tuesday morning.
She said further that earlier medical reports had shown that the disease that claimed the boy’s life was inherited from the family of his mother, who is also serving jail term in France for her alleged roles in the child abuse that involved their adopted daughter, Tina in 2007.
The former Nigerian footballer, Godwin Okpara, visited the hospital Tuesday morning in order to pay the final respect to his late son, Sean.
It would be recalled that a French court had in 2007, sentenced Godwin Okpara who also played for a top French club to 13 years in prison for the Molestation of his adopted daughter, Tina.
Apart from Godwin Okpara, his wife, Linda also received 15 years for her Molestation and torture, while his mother-in-law received a five-year sentence for failing to come to the aid of a person in danger.
During the trial, jurors deliberated for two hours before reaching the verdict where Okpara had denied molesting the girl, saying the sex had been consensual.
During the trial that lasted for four days, Tina, also a Nigerian, now aged 19, described having lived through an ordeal because of her parents, who brought her to France in 2001 at the age of 13.
She said she was forced to do all household chores, and was regularly Molested by her adopted father under threat of being beaten.
She also accused Godwin’s wife, Linda Okpara for allegedly shaving her head, stubbing a cigarette out on her cheek, and forcing her to perform cruel intimate acts.