24-yr-old man arrested for defiling a 9-yr-old girl

The police in Ogun State have arrested a 24-year-old carpenter, Emmanuel Ojelade, for allegedly defiling a nine-year-old primary school pupil in Abeokuta, the state capital.

It was learnt that the suspect, who is a tenant in the same house where the girl resides with her parents, tricked her into his room before committing the alleged crime.

A source said the scream of the girl emanating from the suspect’s room attracted the neighbours, who forcibly opened the door to rescue the nine-year-old girl.

The report made by the father of the victim, Mr Kehinde Adebayo, at the Kemta Police Police Station led to the arrest of the suspect.

Police sources said the suspect, who is a father of two, in his statement said he did not have carnal knowledge of the victim.

He was said to have claimed that he only fingered the victim and appealed for leniency.

The victim (names withheld), however, told newsmen that the suspect allegedly deceived her into entering his room under the pretext that he wanted to send her on an errand.

She said, “I was washing clothes when he called me to come and help him buy food. As I entered the room, he closed the door and had sex with me.”

The state police command’s Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident and said the suspect had already been arrested.

Adejobi, a deputy superintendent of police, added that the victim had been taken to hospital for medical examination while further investigation into the crime would continue.

“The police were informed of this act by the father of the victim about 20.30hrs, Just after the suspect raped the girl. The suspect, who is presently at Kemta division, will soon be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation,” he said.