Fides Media Living the Faith
…CP Decries Moral Decay in Society, Tasks Parents to Pay Greater Attention to Influence Factors Children Are Exposed to
By Jude Atupulazi
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested and detained eleven suspects in various cases of rape and defilement reported over a week period.
It will be recalled that on the 11th of July, an obscene video clip that went viral showed a young lady aged 19 years being gang raped by a group of boys. Investigation revealed that the incident happened at Oroma-etiti, Anam. The Police in Otuocha collaborated with the local vigilante in the area and arrested six suspects involved in the criminal act.
They are Chinua Obikezie, aged 17; Collins Ogbodo, aged 19;IfeanyiChijioke, 17; AbuchiIke chukwu, 17; Ezenwa Afam, 18; and Sunday Okafor, 27.
Three other suspects implicated in the act are still at large, it was gathered. During interrogation, all six suspects confessed to have taken part in the crime.
In a similar development the Police at Abagana, Njikoka LGA, while on patrol with the local vigilante on 8th July, 2023, arrested three suspects on an allegation of rape of a 15-year-old girl. The suspects are Chimezie Odugwu, 21; Nnamdi Anodebe; 19; and Jude Onua, 48.
From the confession of the suspects, they found the victim wandering at Abagana Junction before Chimezie lured her to Nnamdi’s house in the same locality and both had carnal knowledge of her. She left the suspect’s house in tears and the elderly Jude, on the pretext of sheltering her brought her to his house and raped her before she was rescued by the police and vigilantes.
In a related development, police operatives from Ekwulobia Division arrested one Chinenye Ezemehege, aged 41, in connection with a case of defilement of a 13-year-old girl. The suspect who claimed to be a security guard at the market confessed to the act and stated that he had been paying the girl N500 to N1000 for what he described as her service.
Preliminary information revealed that the parents of the girl usually sent her to get firewood at the Ekwulobia Market before she fell prey to the suspect.
Meanwhile, police operatives attached to Atani Division, on July 13,arrested one Odimako Ikenga, aged 38, of Ossomala Village, Ogbaru LGA. The suspect had been on the police wanted list in an ongoing investigation of a case of defilement of a 12-year-old girl reported to the police station on August 28, 2022.
The Commissioner of Police has commended police operatives and vigilantes for being alive to their responsibility to society. He expressed his determination to tackle headlong, the menace of sexual crimes and gender-based violence in the state. He has vowed that there would be no hiding place for sexual predators, especially those who preyed on minors.
The Commissioner has also directed that all the suspects indicted in the course of the investigation be arraigned in court without delay once investigation was concluded.