A 62-year-old cobbler accused of defiling a 12-year-old student of Aduwawa Secondary School, Benin, Edo State, is currently cooling his heels in the custody of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
It was gathered that the suspect, Chukwudi Augustine, who hails from Ishagu community in Ohazaria Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, do patronise the victim who sells zobo drink.
It was further gathered that the suspect was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Edo State Command, who handed him over to NAPTIP for investigation and prosecution.
The suspect allegdly offered N500 for N5O zobo he purchased but the victim who was not having the remaining balance left to come back later for the money.
The Commander, NAPTIP Benin Zone, Nduka Nwanwenne, who disclosed this yesterday in Benin, said two weeks later, the victim went back to the suspect’s shop to collect the money but was told that the suspect had left for home.
Nwanwenne said the supect’s apprentice then directed the victim to the suspect’s house, which is close to the shop.
“On knocking on the door, the suspect dragged her inside the room and raped her. It was the cry of the victim that attracted neighbours who opened the door to rescue her,” Nwanwenne added.
He explained that the suspect tried to settle the victim’s mother with N50,000 and later reduced it to N30,000 before he was apprehended by men of NSCDC, Edo State Command, who eventually handed him over to NAPTIP.
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