Anambra police vow sanction as man defiles 15-year-old schoolgirl

A middle-aged man, identified as Onuora Innoma, who was arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl at Ado Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State, has confessed to the crime.

The Anambra State Police spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed this to journalists in Awka on Thursday, said the suspect admitted to the crime during interrogation, assuring all that justice would be served.

The According had reported that the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, through the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, had ordered the arrest and prosecution of the suspect, after he was detained at the Inland Town Police Division, Onitsha, Anambra State.

The governor frowned at the act of preying on innocent girls, vowing to take every available legal means to bring the perpetrator to book, hoping it would serve as a deterrent to others.

He enjoined the people of the state to speak up in the face of such despicable acts.

The suspect was also said to always lay ambush around the school premises while preying on his victim, whom he always lured into a lonely bush path.

Ikenga said the investigation into the matter was still ongoing, adding that the suspect would be arraigned next Wednesday.

“It is a case of rape, and the first respondent is the Inland Town Police station before it was transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka.

“We invited the victim and carried out some tests on her to confirm the alleged defilement, and the tests authenticated that she was defiled.

“We were able to arrest the suspect and bring him to book. During the interrogation, he confessed to the crime.

“One thing about rape is that it is a crime against both God and man. It is morally and legally wrong, and the society frowns at it.

“It is unfortunate this teenage girl has been exposed to this trauma in her early life. What led the suspect to commit this crime is left between him and God.

“We seize this opportunity to reach out to parents and guardians to always watch out for their children and wards, when and where they send them to so as not to expose them to any form of vulnerability.

“Going by the way the incident happened, the man took advantage of her to have a carnal knowledge while walking along a lonely road after she was sent on an errand.

“We thank the Ministry of Education for its pro-activeness in reaching out to us immediately the incident happened.

“We are also in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs. The governor has graciously approved a special court for this kind of gender-related case,” Ikenga added.