A 51-year-old indigene of Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, Unegbu Chika, has been arrested for defiling his 14-year-old domestic help.
The suspect was apprehended by security operatives on Saturday, after a whistleblower drew the attention of the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, to his observations about his acts.
During cross-examination before the security operatives, the suspect, a transporter, who plies the Ekwulobia-Oko route, confessed to defiling the girl and pleaded for pardon, saying that he was “tempted by the devil”.
The suspect, resident at Isiaku in Isuofia but hails from Owerri, Imo State, also said, “The act was due to the death of my wife and it’s a mistake which I regret deeply.”
Meanwhile, the victim said she started living with the man in 2018 when she was eight years old and shortly after, in 2019, he started defiling her.
She said, “He usually have his way during weekends and holiday periods, but he became more at ease with the act after the death of his wife.
“I did not raise the alarm because he always told me to keep it a secret, and ever since then, I have been keeping it that way till help came.”
Speaking immediately after interviewing the suspect, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, thanked the Isuofia People’s Assembly leadership for their prompt response in apprehending the suspect before the arrival of security operatives.
Obinabo said defilement and rape crimes were not tolerated in the state, urging the citizens of the state to be on the lookout for any suspicious act, movement or otherwise and report to the appropriate authority.
She assured the people that the state government would not hesitate to take action on the matter.
As of the time of this report, the suspect has been handed over to the police for further investigation and consequently to be arraigned before the Children, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Magistrate Court in Awka while the victim will undergo medical examination.
When contacted, the state police spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the arrest of the suspect, saying investigation had commenced adding that the suspect would be charged to court at the end of the investigation.
