Stepfather to a nine-year-old has allegedly gang-raped his stepdaughter alongside four others in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital. The minor, named withheld, is a primary 2 pupil of Bindigari Primary School, Damaturu and an orphan haven lost her biological father seven years ago. This is coming less than a week after a Ward Head of Fannami in Gashu’a town allegedly sodomized a-six-year-old nursery 3 pupil.

Reacting to the latest rape allegation, the Yobe State police command has confirmed the arrest of four suspects in connection with the molestation of the nine-year-old girl including her stepfather. The Public Relations Officer of the command, ASP Abdulmalik Abdulhafeez, made the confirmation yesterday in Damaturu.

“The suspects, including the ex-husband of the victim’s mother and three others, are already in police custody and investigation is ongoing. The matter will soon be taken to court after all investigation has been concluded, Abdulhafeez said.

The suspects are Yarima Yakubu, stepfather of the victim; Usaini Zauna, Muhammed Garba and Muhammed Sabo, all of whom are residents of Babban Tsangaya area of Damaturu. It was gathered that three of the remaining suspects are at large. Mother of the victim, Zara Usman, alleged that her ex-husband, Yarima Yakubu, lured the girl to a house at Babban Tsangaya area of Damaturu where she was raped. She added that her daughter was confirmed to be HIV positive by the Damaturu Specialist Hospital, and as a result, she has stopped going to school.

“Because of my poor condition, I cannot do anything on the matter except to leave things for God but I want the state government to take over the case,” she said.Reports gathered at the State Specialists’ Hospital, Damaturu, revealed that the girl has been placed on Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), which is a 28-day course of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) within 36-72 hours for exposure to HIV. The finding showed that the PEP could reverse the HIV status of the girl after the expiration of the 28 days.

Meanwhile, a 60-year-old man, Taofeek Shotayo, has been arrested by operatives of the Ogun State police command for allegedly having unlawful carnal knowledge of a 10-year-old girl name withheld. The suspect was arrested on December 9, following a complaint at Aregbe police station by the step-father of the victim that the suspect who happened to be their neighbour at Abule Aro area of Obantoko, Abeokuta, lured his step-daughter to his room with N600 and had sex with her.

According to spokesman of Ogun State police command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, “the complainant stated that he got to know when they noticed sudden change in behaviour of the little girl, which prompted him and her mother to question her intensively. The victim narrated to her parent how the randy old man slept with her after giving her N600, while she further disclosed that this would be the second time he will be doing it with her.

“Upon the report, the DPO Aregbe division, detailed his detectives to the scene where the suspect was promptly arrested. He has made confessional statement to the police; while the victim has been taken to the hospital for medical attention”.Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Kenneth Ebrimson, has ordered that the suspect be transferred to Anti-human trafficking and child labour unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for further investigation and prosecution. (The Guardian)

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