A 48-year-old man named Emmanuel George has been taken into custody by the Rivers State Police Command on suspicion of defiling a 12-year-old girl in Port Harcourt.
The girl, who was on vacation with her aunt, was attacked on her way back from an errand on September 6 near Mini Orlu, off Ada-George Road.
SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the command spokesman, said in a statement on Monday that George, a resident of Port Harcourt but a native of Akwa Ibom, had enticed the youngster into a stationary tricycle before attacking her.
She said, “The suspect dragged the victim into a stationary tricycle, popularly called Keke Napep, tied her hands, covered her mouth to prevent her from raising an alarm, and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her before fleeing the scene.”
Iringe-Koko explained that operatives attached to the CP Strike Force mobilised swiftly after receiving a distress call and took the girl to the Police Hospital for medical examination.
“At about 2200hrs the same day, the suspect was apprehended through coordinated intelligence,” she said.
The police spokesperson disclosed that exhibits recovered from the scene included a bundle of rope allegedly used to tie the victim’s hands, a wrap of fufu, and the blue tricycle.
“The suspect voluntarily confessed to the crime during interrogation.
“He is currently in custody alongside the exhibits while a discreet investigation continues,” Iringe-Koko added.
The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, has reaffirmed the command’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of crime in the state face the full wrath of the law.
He further urged parents and guardians to watch over their children and wards closely, as such predators are within our neighbourhood.