Protest erupted at Babasanya-Araka, Area, Ede, Osun State, on Saturday after a Chief Imam simply identified as Kadiri was caught raping an eight-year-old girl(name withheld) after sending her on errand.

The Nation learnt the incident occurred around 12 noon, when the girl’s mother was looking for her daughter, who had left home and failed to return home in time.

An eyewitness, Oladele Oluwatosin, a postgraduate student of Redeemer’s University, Ede, told The Nation: “I was around the area with my colleagues of Group II for the DevComm campaign when the incident happened. We suddenly heard noise at the junction of Babasanya which attracted residents of the area.

“The mother of the girl caught the Chief Imam in a mosque around the area. The mother said her daughter was crying and she was bleeding from her private part.”

Another eyewitness Eyitayo said: “Some of the followers of the Chief Imam wanted to help him escape but angry residents resisted it. The victim was taken to Babasanya Hospital where it was confirmed that the girl had been defiled.

“There was a large crowd at the hospital, the Chief Imam was locked in a room at the hospital and some residents called Amotekun who later took him to their office after which he was handed over to the police at ‘B’ Division, Ede.”

A video of the Chief Imam obtained by The Nation, Kadiri confessed that he had canal knowledge of the girl after he sent her on an errand.

He said: “We lived together in the compound, I know her father and mother. I sent her to help me buy groundnuts and when she returned I defiled her.”

Osun police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi confirmed the incident. (The Nation)