The Guardian (Nigeria)

Police officer detained for defiling 13- year- old girl in Rivers

- From Obinna Nwaoku, Port Harcourt

ASUPERINTE­NDENT of Police identified simply as Emmanuel, attached to the Bori Police Area Command, Khana Local Council of Rivers State, has been detained over an alleged case of defilement.

The officer was detained at the State Criminal Investigat­ion and Intelligen­ce Department ( SCIID), Port Harcourt, on the order of the Commission­er of Police, Olatunji Disu, for allegedly defiling a 13- year- old girl.

A relative of the survivor, who gave her name as Love, said the teenager went out on Friday, January 12, but did not return that day.

Love said the minor came back in the morning of Saturday, January 13. When interrogat­ed, the girl confessed that she was held and defiled by a police officer in his office at Bori Area Command till daybreak.

She alleged the teenager said the police officer threatened to shoot her if she raised the alarm.

Love said following the revelation, she examined her and found that the girl had been defiled.

According to the relative, after she had reported the incident at the Bori Police Division, the girl identified the culprit. The survivor was then taken to a hospital by the Investigat­ing Police Officer ( IPO). There, a medical examinatio­n showed the girl’s hymen was broken, while bruises were noticed in her vagina.

A human rights organisati­on, Rainbow Watch and Developmen­t Centre, which has been following the case, called for unbiased and thorough investigat­ion into the incident.

Executive Director of the group, Michael Gbarale, in a statement, commended the Commission­er of Police for arrest of the officer and transfer of the case to SCIID.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Nigeria