80-YEAR-OLD MAN DEFILES MINOR IN BAYELSA
An 80-year-old man was detained by Bayelsa State Police Command agents for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old girl at the Otuokpoti community in the state’s Ogbia Local Government Area.
Gender advocacy groups including Dise Ogbise Foundation, Reigneth Foundation, Starrz Safety Initiative and Collins Cocodia Foundation said the suspect had been identified by indigenes of the community as a serial paedophile.
The suspect was simply identified as Pa. Stephen, who was reportedly suffering from an advanced pile and a hernia.
At the urging of the women advocacy groups, he was brought to the Divisional Police Headquarters located in Ogbia Town.
It was reliably gathered that the suspect was later transported on Tuesday to the state police headquarters located in Yenagoa.
According to a statement released by gender advocacy groups, the victim’s foster mother informed reporters that the girl was exhibiting symptoms of illness and inattention while completing household tasks.
Before neighbours informed the victim’s foster mother that they had witnessed the suspect giving the young girl some money, it was believed that the culprit had been defiling the kid for approximately a year.
The statement said, “Many of the neighbours warned the foster mother that they noticed that the elderly accused gave some money to the kid and warned the foster mother to be alert. They warned her that the elderly accused was a serial paedophile.
“On the fateful day, a concerned member of the community noticed the child entering the old man’s house on her way from school. She immediately raised an alarm and they forcefully rescued her. The victim admitted that the defilement started last year.”
Dise Harry, the founder of the Dise Foundation, told reporters that gender advocacy organisations have to work together to get the accused taken into prison and placed under arrest.
Harry revealed that she will also have a psychological assessment in addition to the medical support and examination provided by the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Bayelsa State Chapter.
She claims that the victim has been placed in protective custody by the Ministry of Women Affairs of the Bayelsa State Government.
She said, “It is sad that such is happening. It is a red flag to all of us.”
However, the Police Public Relations Officer, Musa Mohammed, is yet to confirm the development as he did not pick up calls or reply to a text message to that effect.