Security operatives attached to the Rivers State Police Command have arrested a man for allegedly defiling a 12 year old girl in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
In a statement on Monday, the spokesperson of the Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said the suspect, one Emmanuel George, 48, committed the crime on September 6, in Ada-George area of Port Harcourt.
According to her, the suspect allegedly dragged the victim who was on errand for her guardian, to a seclude area in a stationary tricycle, popularly called Keke Napep, tied her hands, covered her mouth to prevent her from raising alarm, and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her despite her pleading for freedom, before fleeing the scene.
She said that operatives were mobilised to the scene of incident, where the victim was promptly taken to the Police Hospital, Port Harcourt, for medical treatment and examination.
The suspect was however apprehended through coordinated intelligence, while exhibits including “a bundle of rope suspected to have been used in tying the victim’s hands, one wrap of ‘fufu’ and a blue tricycle”, where recovered from the incident scene.
Iringe-Koko continued that during interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed to the crime, and is currently in police custody while discreet investigation is ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the State, Olugbenga Adepoju, has reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of crime in the state face the full wrath of the law.
He urged parents and guardians to keep close watch over their children and wards, as “such predators are within our neighborhood” and to report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station or other security agencies.
