Three people were arrested in Anambra State for raping a 13-year-old girl by operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) working in collaboration with vigilante operatives.
Chidimma Ikeanyionwu, media aide to the Commissioner for Women and Social Affairs, who revealed the arrest, said the suspects had been handed over to police and would be charged in court soon.
“According to the victim, the suspects were co-tenants with them but took her to Nkisi river to rape her after they had an altercation with her father,” Ikeanyionwu said.
“The victim told the commissioner that she was slapped by the boys before being dragged to Nkisi and ordered to remove her clothes as the suspects took turns having carnal knowledge of her.”
According to DAILY POST, the victim is from Ohaozara in Ebonyi State, and the perpetrators’ names are Sunday, Emelie, Chiedu, and Nwa aw. While only three suspects were apprehended, the fourth, Nwa aw, allegedly escaped when security operatives raided the Nkpor neighborhood near Onitsha to arrest them.
Hon. Ify Obinabo, Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, praised the victim for speaking up after the incident and assured her that she would see that she received justice.
She bemoaned the rising number of rapes in the state and warned that the Professor Chukwuma Soludo-led administration would not tolerate them.
Hon. Obinabo also thanked NAPTIP officials, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Anambra Vigilante Group for their assistance in apprehending the suspects.
During interrogation, two of the suspects admitted to the crime and begged forgiveness, while another claimed he was only present when the incident occurred, but the victim insisted that he was the second person to have carnal knowledge of her.
They also stated that they decided to rape the girl because they disagreed with her father.
They have been handed over to the Police State CID Awka and will be charged in court.