A 30-year old man, Mr. Inya-Okoro (other names
withheld)from Afikpo North Local Government
area of Ebonyi State has been arrested by police
for defiling a two-year-old girl, Favour.
The suspect was alleged to have committed the
shameful act when the victim returned from
school and was sleeping at the corridor of the
house when the suspect, who also lives in the
same compound allegedly pounced on her and
committed the crime.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO)
Mr. Chris Anyanwu an Assistant Superintendent
of Police (ASP), who confirmed the incident said
the suspect was arrested on July 14, 2014 at the
scene of the crime when the members of the
family alerted the police.
He said that the girl had been taken to hospital for
medical examination and treatment while the
suspect would be charged to court for
prosecution, lamenting high rate of rape and
defilement in the state.
According to Anyanwu, “On Monday 14th July,
2014, one Ama Inya-Okoro, 30-year old man from
Ubeyi development centre in Unwana, in Afikpo
Council area, was arrested for defiling little girl,
Favour. The girl has been taken to hospital for
treatment by his father Mr. Ude, Ebeke. The
suspect confessed to the crime and will be
charged to court for prosecution.
“This is another disturbing trend, the issue of
rape, defilement and sex related offences.
I don’t know why we have regular occurrence in
the state. The people should not leave their
children especially, female ones without close
watch. Just like in this case, the girl was sleeping
but nobody was there with her when the suspect
took the advantage and had access to the girl. So,
parents should be careful and monitor their girls
and ensure that they don’t send them on errand
alone to avoid such cases of rape. I urge the
people to always ensure that they raise alarm
whenever they see such act and report it to the
nearest police station” he said.
In an interview with Crime Watch, Ama Inya-
Okoro admitted to have committed the crime but
blamed it on evil urge for sex.
According to him, “What happened was that I
went to look for job as laborer on the fateful day
but could not get any job and I returned home. As
I was washing my cloth I saw the girl laying down
sleeping wearing only pant, I rushed and carried
her and have sex with her. It was ‘conji’ that
caused it and I don’t have money to go for mature
girls.”
The father of the girl Mr. Ude Ebeke that he was at
the church when the incident happened. A
neighour called to inform me home and I rushed
home to found my two years old girl was defiled
by a nieghour, Ama Okoro.
“On Monday July14, 2014, I was in the church
when a woman came and called me and told me
to go home, I quickly rushed to my house, I didn’t
see anybody, I ran to our village square and saw
group of people there gathered. It was there I saw
my daughter and one of the leaders of age grade
who first arrested the man and brought him to the
village square.
“It was there that I was told that one Ama Inya
Okoro raped and defiled by two year-old girl. So, I
wanted to call police but they told me that they
had already contacted police and as I was there
police came and took all of us including the
suspect to the police station where I made a
statement. The mother traveled that day and the
girl went to school before I left home. My sister will
tell more on what happened because I was in the
church,” he said.
The person who was with the girl when the
incident happened, Miss Stella Egwu said that
she was cooking in the kitchen while the victim
was sleeping at the corridor when a woman
alerted her.
“I was in my place cooking when the little girl
came back from school and after some time she
went and slept at the corridor. As I was cooking in
the kitchen I heard voice calling us to come and
see the man that was raping the little girl, I came
out and saw the man standing with the girl, sperm
in her private. As we were talking people
gathered and took the suspect to the village
square where they called police” she explained.
