By Kayode Olabanji, Okitipupa
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Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a middle-age man who allegedly raped a 12-year-old pupil in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government area of Ondo state.
The Hope Metro gathered that the suspect was arrested in Kebbi state and brought to Igbokoda yesterday and was later transferred to police headquarters in Akure for proper investigation.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Funmi Odunlami, in a phone call, also confirmed the arrest of the suspect, adding that he was arrested in Kebbi state and has been taken to the police headquarters in Akure for further investigation.
The Hope Metro had earlier reported that the young girl was raped while hawking ‘puff-puff.’ She was reportedly lured into an uncompleted building by the suspect and forcefully defiled her.
It was gathered that the suspect, who hails from Kebbi, committed the offense on May 19, 2023.
According to the mother of the victim, Madam Joy, who demanded justice explained that “when my daughter arrived from school on this fateful day, she told me to allow her hawk puff-puff because we needed some money for her school fees.”
She returned home after an hour to eat and later left to hawk again. When it was getting late, I told one of my sisters who was going out to help tell her to return home as it was getting late.
“Few minutes before 7 pm, she came back home, but immediately I saw her, I knew something was wrong because she looked tired and exhausted. While she was trying to explain what happened to her, she fainted but was revived at the hospital.
“She was taken to the theatre for surgery, and she had tears. It was after she woke up that she narrated how an aboki man raped her.
“She explained how the man forcefully raped her, and we set out to apprehend the man and hand him to the police, but we were surprised to learn that he had ran away to Kebbi in Kebbi state.
“We reported the incident to the police, and they told us that they have commenced a manhunt for the suspect and assured us that he will be made to face the wrath of the law.”
“We were later told the suspect had ran away from the town, as confirmed by their Seriki.
Meanwhile, the Ilaje Leadership Forum, has condemned the nefarious, activities of some Hausas in Igbokoda.
According to the Publicity Secretary, Ilaje Leadership Forum, Prince Emorioloye Owolemi said such act will no longer be tolerated in any part of Ilaje land.
He noted that in January 2022, at Zion area of Igbokoda, a woman was raped by some Hausa miscreants, and cut her with sharp objects on her neck while struggling until she died on the spot.
“We are sounding this as a warning to all criminals and their activities in our land, security agencies are to be at alert in monitoring and curbing the Hausa people’s recklessness in Ilaje land.
