Authorities in Ibere, Abia State, have detained a 35-year-old man, known only as “Yellow,” for allegedly raping a 5-year-old girl inside a room.
The suspect, who was severely beaten by an enraged crowd after being caught in the act, confessed to engaging in sexual contact with the young child. He claimed that he enticed the girl with groundnuts.
“Yellow,” pleading for forgiveness from the furious villagers, attributed his actions to being misled by the “Devil” and claimed that the rainy weather had heightened his desires to commit the heinous act.
He recounted sitting with friends, consuming groundnuts, before entering the building to retrieve an item. Once inside, he alleged that he encountered the girl, offered her groundnut seeds, and then lured her inside to assault her.
Furthermore, the suspect insisted that he attempted to be gentle with the child during the appalling act.
Meanwhile, reports from Ibere indicate that the assaulted child was promptly rushed to the hospital for medical attention by her family. The 35-year-old alleged rapist was handed over to local security authorities for subsequent transfer to the police for a thorough investigation.
However, as of the time of this report, the state’s police command had not confirmed awareness of the incident. Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka, did not respond to inquiries regarding the matter.
This incident unfolded just four months after 37-year-old Chiemela Ekeke was sentenced to life in prison in Umuahia for raping a 4-year-old girl.