The police in Rivers state have arrested One Bright Okutuoma for allegedly defiling a five-year-old girl in the state.
The media had earlier reported how Okutuoma
raped the girl, who’s a daughter of his neighbour.
The incident happened around the Ibaa
community in the Emohua Local Government Area of the state.
The victim’s mother had narrated the event
that led to the alleged defilement of her daughter and subsequent incidents
when she appeared on Cool/Wazobia/Info fm in the Port Harcourt area of the
state.
It’s gathered that Okutuoma was at home when
he called her neighbour’s daughter to help him buy a sachet of water. the
mother of the minor said when her daughter returned with the sachet of water,
Okutuoma took her into his flat and allegedly defiled her.
Okutuoma was subsequently arrested by the police.
In a bid to get justice, the victim’s mother said she had been closely following up the case.
She, however, disclosed that a policewoman in
charge of the case had been trying to obstruct the course of justice.
She noted that, at the behest of Okutuoma’s
family, the policewoman allegedly offered her N500,000 to silence her outcry
for justice.
She said, “What I need is that they should
take this matter to court so that the government will know what this man did to
my little daughter. I reported the suspect to the police but instead of the
suspect spending money, I am the one feeding the suspect.
“A policewoman at the station asked me to
keep quiet because I don’t have any say. She said the parents of the man want
to bring N500,000 and that if I don’t want to accept I should be coming to
their office. Since then, whenever I enter their office, the same woman will
walk me out despite being the complaint.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer,
Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed that Okutuoma had been arrested, adding that the
case would be transferred to the State CID after the holidays for proper investigation.
On the allegation that a policewoman, on
behalf of the suspect, offered N500,000 to the mother for the case to be
settled out of court, the PPRO said, “If there is any conversation to settle
out of court, the police is not aware of that. The Divisional Police Officer
said he is ready to transfer the matter to the State CID, but the complainant
is not forthcoming.
“So we (police) are not aware of any
negotiation for out of court settlement and if any police officer is helping to
do that he or she is on his own because the position of the DPO is very clear.”
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