The Police Command in Akwa Ibom arrested four suspects in the last 18 days over alleged defilement in the state. One of such was the case of a man, aged 36, residing on Primary School Road. He was arrested for allegedly luring a 12-year-old girl with N500 to his room and raped her.

The command’s Spokesman, CSP Nnudam Fredrick, said this in a statement in Uyo on Thursday.

Fredrick said that the violations, which occurred between June 21 and July 5, were committed in Ikot Ekpene and Etim Ekpo Local Government Areas of the state.

Fredrick said that relying on a credible intelligence on July 5 at about 8:30p.m., detectives attached to Ikot Ekpene Division apprehended a 34-year-old suspect at Ikot Ubo in Ikot Ekpene for allegedly raping her 15-year-old daughter.

He said that on June 26 the operatives of Area Command in Etim Ekpo, arrested a man aged 36, who was residing on Primary School Road, for allegedly luring a 12-year-old girl with N500 to his room and raped her.

The PPRO added that on June 25, operatives of Ikot Ekpene Division apprehended another male suspect, aged 34, who was residing on Okonnah Street, Ikot Ekpene, for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old girl.

The PPRO said that investigation revealed that the suspect took the victim from her guardian to his home as a housemaid and severally defiled her before sending her back to her parents.

“On June 21, following a complaint, detectives in Eket Division arrested a suspect, aged 30, of Atabong/Liverpool Road, Eket, for allegedly raping a 10-year-old girl.

“Investigation revealed that the suspect bought cooked cow skin (pomo) worth N200 from the 10-year-old girl and thereafter lured her to his house on the pretext that he left the money at home.

“On reaching his house, he dragged the girl into his room and raped her,” he said.

Fredrick said the fight against perpetrators of rape and other gender-based violence in Akwa Ibom was yielding result with the arrest of the suspects within a short period.

He said that the Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal, had assured victims of rape and other gender-based violence of protection against stigmatisation and threats as encapsulated in all the extant laws.

“For the avoidance of doubt; sexual offenders, particularly rapists, should be guided by the provisions of Section 1(2) of the Akwa Ibom State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2020, which stipulates a punishment of life imprisonment except where the offender is less than 16 years of age, the offender is liable to a maximum of 14 years’ imprisonment,” Fredrick said.

The command spokesman said that all the suspects would be arraigned in court as soon as investigations were completed. (NAN)