By Deborah Nnamdi
Operatives of the Nigerian Police in Calabar, Cross River State, have arrested a 48-year-old man, Mallam Adamu Ibrahim Umaru, for allegedly impregnating his daughter (names withheld).
Police personnel of the Zone Six Human Rights Unit who acted on a petition referred to the team for investigation, arrested Mallam Umaru on 15 November, 2024.
Umaru, a native of Bundugudu LGA of Zamfara State, residing at No. 27 Edem Odo Street, Calabar, denied committing the crime when interviewed by newsmen but was unable to explain how the teenager was impregnated.
The police got wind of the alleged crime following a petition by the victim’s aunt, Aisha, who said she noticed the changes in the girl’s physiology and took her to the hospital, where a pregnancy test was conducted, and the result confirmed the 15-year-old to be nine weeks pregnant.
In her statement, the victim accused her father of being responsible for her pregnancy.
According to her, her father started having illicit affairs with her in 2023 in a hotel and threatened to kill her if she disclosed it to anyone.
The police had further examined the victim in the Police hospital, Calabar, and the result validated the earlier one submitted by her aunt.
Reacting to the allegation, the Manager of Last Motor Hotel, in his statement, admitted that he had seen the suspect several times with the victim in the hotel when they would come to book temporary accommodation but never knew she was his daughter.
A statement issued by the Zone Six Police PRO, SP Nelson Okpabi, said the suspect would be arraigned in a court at the end of the ongoing investigation by extant laws if found culpable.
The police advised parents, guardians, and caregivers to monitor the movements of their wards and be wary of paedophiles and social deviants.
“Those in the hospitality industry are equally enjoined to adequately profile customers and report suspected persons who indulge in illicit activities to the police for prompt action,” he added.
