Police authorities in Bayelsa State have arrested an 80-year-old man simply identified as Pa. Stephen for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old pupil at Otuokpoti Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Police spokesman in the state, ASP Musa Muhammed, who confirmed the arrest to Daily Trust in Yenagoa, the state capital, said the suspect, victim and case file has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for investigation.
It was gathered that the arrest was effected following the reports filed by some Gender Advocacy groups in the state, including the Dise ogbise Foundation (Do Foundation), Reigneth foundation, Starrz Safety Initiative and the Collins Cocodia Foundation.
Some indigenes of the community had draw the attention of the gender advocacy groups to the activities of the suspected serial pedophile, said to be sick with advance pile and hernia.
The gender advocacy groups, when alerted about the incident stormed the Otuokpoti community and ensured that the culprit was reported to the Divisional Police Headquarters.
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The police division in the area arrested the suspect and transferred to the State Headquarters of the force in Yenagoa for further investigation.
It was gathered that the elderly man accused have been secretly defiling the child for over 12 months without the knowledge of the foster mother.
The Foster Mother of the 10-year-old girl who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told newsmen that she noticed that the girl was showing signs of sickness and had become absent-minded when carrying out domestic chores.
She said: “Many of my neighbours warned me that they noticed that the elderly accused gave some money to the kid and warned me to be at alert. They told me that the man is a serial pedophile.
“On the fateful day, a concerned member of the Community noticed the child entering the old man house on her way from school. She immediately raised an alarm and they forceful rescue her. The victim admitted that the defilement started since last year.”
Speaking on the incident, the Founder of the Dise Foundation, Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry, told newsmen that it took a joint efforts of the Gender Advocacy group to ensure the accused was arrested and remanded in Police Custody.
She confirmed that the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Bayelsa State Chapter, also assisted by providing medical support and examination, adding that the victim is in protective custody of the State government through Ministry of Women Affairs.
She said the victim has undergone medical examination and would also undergo Psychology examination.
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