Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 51-year-old indigene of Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area of the state, Unegbu Chika, for defiling his 14-year-old domestic help.
According to The PUNCH, the security operatives arrested the suspect on Saturday, after an informant reported the case to the the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare.
Questioned before the security operatives, the suspect, a transporter, who plies the Ekwulobia-Oko route, confessed to defiling the girl and pleaded for pardon, noting that he was “tempted by the devil”.
Hails from Owerri, but resident at Isiaku in Isuofa Imo State, the suspect also said, “The act was due to the death of my wife and it’s a mistake which I regret deeply.”
The victim, however, said she started living with the man in 2018 when she was eight years old and shortly after, in 2019, he started defiling her.
She said, “He usually have his way during weekends and holiday periods, but he became more at ease with the act after the death of his wife.
“I did not raise the alarm because he always told me to keep it a secret, and ever since then, I have been keeping it that way till help came.”
Commenting on the matter immediately after interviewing the suspect, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, expressed gratitude to Isuofia People’s Assembly leadership for their prompt response in arresting the suspect before the arrival of security operatives.
Obinabo declared that defilement and rape crimes would not be condoned in the state, while calling on the citizens of the state to be vigilant for any suspicious act, movement or otherwise and report to the appropriate authority.
She vowed that the state government would not hesitate to take a decisive action on the matter.
As of the time of this report, the suspect has been handed over to the police for further investigation and consequently to be arraigned before the Children, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Magistrate Court in Awka while the victim will undergo medical examination.
Spokespersong for the State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, when contacted, confirmed the arrest of the suspect, explaining that investigation had begun, noting that the suspect would be charged to court when the investigation.is completed.
