Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Anambra State Command, have arrested six boys for allegedly gang-raping a 19-year-old lady.
The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, who made this known on Monday in a statement, said that the suspects were arrested after an obscene video clip of their dastard act went viral on July 11, 2023.
According to the police spokesperson, investigation revealed that the incident happened at Orama-Etiti, Anam and the police at Otuocha area of the state collaborated with the local vigilante in the area and arrested six suspects involved in the criminal act.
The arrested suspects were identified as; Chinua Obikezie (17 years old), Collins Ogbodo (19 years old), Ifeanyi Chijoke (17 years old), Abuchi Ikechukwu (17 years old), Ezenwa Afam (18 years old) and Sunday Okafor (27 years old), while three other suspects implicated in the criminal act were still at large. During interrogation, all the six suspects confessed to having taken part in the crime."
Similarly, police operatives at Abagana of the state while on patrol with the local vigilante on July 8, 2023, arrested three suspects on the allegation of rape of a 15-year-old girl.
Ikenga stated that the suspects identified as; Chimezie Odugwu (21 years old), Nnamdi Anodebe (19 years old) and Jude Onua (48 years old) confessed that 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.
The rape victim 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 the Ekwulobia division arrested one 41-year-old Chinenye Ezemehege, in connection to the case of defilement of a 13-year-old girl.
The police spokesperson said that 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 between N500 and N1000 for her "service".
However, Ikenga stated that preliminary information revealed that the parents of the girl normally sent her to get firewood at the Ekwulobia market before she fell prey to the suspect.
Also, police operatives attached to Atani Division on July 13, arrested one 38-year-old Odimako Ikenga, of Ossomala Village in Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state, who has been on the police wanted a 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 will be no hiding place for sexual predators, especially those who prey on minors.
"The Commissioner has directed that all the suspects indicted in the course of the investigation be arraigned in court without delay once investigation is concluded," Ikenga said.