A 37-year-old man, Emmanuel Ighoruemu, has been arrested by the Ughelli Area Command of the Nigerian Police Force in Delta State, for alleged defilement of his friend’s eight-year-old daughter.
Ighoruemu, a father of four, reportedly raped the child, identified (names withheld), at Egbo Community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.
Medical reports reportedly revealed that the child’s hymen had been broken, ostensibly as a result of the defilement, while an infection – vaginal warts – was also detected.
It was gathered that the incident occurred when the parents of the child left her with the suspect during their one-night trip out of town in the hope that he would treat the child as one of his.
“The wicked man defiled the innocent child on his matrimonial bed and threatened to kill her if she mentioned the incident to her parents or any other person,” Warri Aproko said in a Facebook post.
To silence the child, the said Ighoruemu gave her a N500 ‘bribe’, which she rejected.
Although the Police Public Relations Officer in Delta Command, Mr Bright Edafe, could not be reached for comment, a source in the police station where the suspect is being detained confirmed the arrest.
Our source said, “The man confessed that he had canal knowledge of the child, but that it was only once that he slept with her.”
Meanwhile, the incident has generated anger in the area with residents calling on police and community leaders to desist from handling such cases with kid gloves.
A leader in the area, Comrade Kelvin Ejemudo, warned community leaders and parents that issues like rape, especially targeting underage and minors should not be allowed to be settled out of court.
“Rape or any kind, especially of minors are criminal matters that must be taken to court,” he said.
