Policemen attached to Area ‘B’ Command, Apapa, Lagos, have arrested a
54-year-old man for allegedly raping an eight-year-old girl in Ajegunle
area of Lagos, Vanguard reports.
This came as a 42-year-old man, identified as Bala, was
arrested by police in Oyo State for allegedly raping an eight-year-old
girl in Ibadan. On the Ajegunle incident, the victim (names withheld )
told policemen that the suspect, who is her late father’s friend, had
had carnal knowledge of her twice.
The little girl gave a graphic
description of how her late father’s friend, whose identity was given
simply as Ayela, had carnal knowledge of her in his apartment located on
Mission Street. She disclosed that the suspect had on both occasions
called her into his apartment while she was running errands for her
grandmother and that at the end of the assault, gave her N50.
The
bubble burst weekend, after a curious woman, who sighted the little girl
coming out of the suspect’s apartment, reportedly asked her what
happened behind closed door.
Her revelation, it was gathered, led to
the invitation of policemen and subsequent arrest of the suspect.
However, the suspect denied the allegation, but admitted to have offered
the girl money each time he saw her because of the relationship he had
with her late father. He said: “How can I rape my late friend’s
daughter? They live on Ayorinde Street, while I live at Mission Street.
“Any
time I see her passing by, I usually gave her money. Sometimes she
comes to say hello. On this day, she just opened my door without
knocking. I swear I did not rape her.”
Girl’s story
The
girl interrupted him, saying: “He is lying. He did it sometime ago.
This is not the first time. It is the second time.” The girl, according
to police sources, had been taken to the hospital for examination. The
outcome of the result, which is expected to be out today, police sources
hinted, would inform the next line of action on the matter.
At Ibadan
The
Ibadan incident happened at Ago Tapa, Mokola area of the metropolis.
Vanguard gathered that the suspect allegedly lured the girl into his
room and forced himself on her. According to sources, Bala enticed the
naive girl with N100.
The girl’s mother was said to have noticed
blood stains on her dress, which prompted her to question her. The
victim told her mother how the suspect deceived her into his one room
apartment and raped her. Sensing that the bubble had burst, the suspect
was said to have escaped when he heard the voice of the enraged victim’s
mother, who was heading towards his room.
Arrested
The
incident was later reported at Mokola Police Station and the suspect
was arrested last Thursday. Vanguard was further informed that the
latest rape case was not the first by the suspect. The man, father of
two girls and a boy, was said to be fond of defiling minors in the area.
The source said earlier in the year, he defiled a six-year-old girl,
but with persistent plea by the suspect and his wife as well as payment
of N30,000 for his victim’s treatment, the matter was swept under the
carpet.