A 75-year-old barber identified as Nwankwo Nweke has been arrested by security operatives in Anambra State for allegedly defiling an eight-year-old girl.
The incident happened in Awka, the state capital, according to a statement issued by Chidimma Ikeanyionwu, the Media Aide to the Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, on Wednesday.
Ikeanyionwu stated that the suspect, who hails from Isi Agu in Awka South Local Government Area of the state after the arrest, confessed that it was temptation that made him have carnal knowledge of the girl.
She said, “Nweke went on pleading for mercy and promised to be of good behaviour if the state government pardons him.
“While responding, the state Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, vowed to ensure justice for the victim, warning that anyone caught in such an act won’t go free.
“Obinabo went further to say that despite the state government’s fight against rape and defilement, ‘some bad eggs are still engaging in the crime’, warning that if and when caught, offenders must serve a jail term.”
Meanwhile, during interrogation, the parents of the eight-year-old, explained that they sent their child to get something at a nearby shop around 7 pm, but when she came back they noticed the items were not complete and asked her to return to the shop after which they started looking for her.
One of the parents said, “We quickly went to the shop to look for her, but did not see her, which prompted us to raise the alarm over her sudden disappearance in the neighbourhood without knowing that the suspect had already taken her into his house.
“The suspect, who at the time was our neighbour, pushed the girl out of his room when he felt the search was over.
“When our daughter finally came back that night, we questioned her to know what happened. She told us that the suspect lured her to his house with a promise to give her mango. It was at that point that we involved security operatives before taking the child to the hospital.”
Similarly, in November 2019, an Ikeja Special Offences Court sentenced a 38-year-old barber, Jobi Kayode, to 20 years in prison for defiling his 12-year-old neighbour.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo sentenced Kayode after finding him guilty of a charge of defilement on the strength of the complainant’s testimony and the medical evidence.
