Police in Anambra State have arrested an 80-year-old cabinet Chief, Vincent Okoye, of Umueri, Anambra East Local Government Area, for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old girl
According to the report, the man committed the attrocity at a building site in the community.
The President of All Nations Arise and Manifest Initiative (ANAM), Mrs Tessy Aniesi, disclosed this on Saturday, adding that the case was brought to the organisation by Chairperson of Umuada Umueri, Mrs Chinasa Madisife after it was reported at the Police Area Command, Otuocha Division.
Mrs Aniesi revealed that the suspect is a building contractor and a friend of the victim’s mother, and had confessed to the crime after his arrest on April 26, 2022.
The workers at the site the suspect is supervising said they noticed that each time the girl comes to run errands for him, he takes her to one of the buildings and lock the door. On April 26, they saw her come out of the building crying. When she was asked what was wrong, she narrated that the suspect always raped her whenever her mother asked her to come and run errands for him,” she noted.
The workers confronted the man and called the attention of the vigilante group, the traditional ruler, and the Umuada of Umueri community, and eventually, the Association took up the matter.”
Confirming the report, the Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra State, PPRO Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed that the force had conducted investigation into the matter after which they equally charged the suspect to court.
Speaking also, the traditional ruler of Umueri, Igwe Benneth Emeka, intimated that the suspect had been suspended from his cabinet, as the act was a taboo and embarrassment to the community.
“The man in question is a member of my cabinet, he is my Financial Secretary and immediately the matter was reported, we suspended him and he can never come back to the cabinet again. The matter has been taken to court and that shows that the community does not condone such crime. We have also given the girl scholarship to show our concern and protect her future.”
She said the suspect, who was incidentally a friend of the mother, (a trader), was arrested on April 26, while the victim was taken to a Hospital at Umueri where her alleged defilement was confirmed.
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