Police for Rumuji Division, Rivers State Police Command don arrest a 55-year-old resident pastor of one new generation church for Ndele community, Emohua Local Goment area, for allegedly defiling and impregnating a 15-year-old girl.
Di arrest dey come afta di victim in-law complain about di incident to police
Im tell BBC Pidgin say dem want justice for im young in-law wey be minor.
Mr John (No be im real name) wey be husband to di victim elder sister tok how e happen say:
”If her mama go farm, di girl dey normally go di church wey dey near dia house to go relax, den she go go back house for evening.
But in di last few days, dis girl dey sick, dey vomit, na so my wife (her elder sister) take her to hospital for medical test. Afta di test her result show say she dey pregnant, na so we know say she get belle.”
Wen dem ask her who dey responsible for di pregnancy, Mr John say di young girl call di pastor name and add say di pastor threaten to kill her if she tell anybody say im dey sleep with her.
But di in-law say wen her elder sister take her go meet di pastor, im agree say na im dey responsible for di pregnancy.
E allege say di pastor beg di elder sister to give abortion pill to di girl to flush her belle so e go comot but di family no agree and di tok vex dem and e make pipo for di community nearly beat am wen dem hear di tori, before dem go report di mata for police.
Tok-tok pesin for Rivers State Police Command SP Grace Iringe-Koko confam di tori say di pastor dey protective police custody to check mob action against am as dem don begin investigate di mata.
40 year old bouncer also face accuse of defiling a 13-year-old
Dis incident dey come shortly afta police arrest one 40-year-old man wey be bouncer (door supervisor) for one night club for Port Harcourt for di alleged defilement of a 13-year-old girl for Ojike street, Mile 1 Diobu.
SP Iringe-Koko as she confam di tori say di man allegedly send di thirteen years old girl message to go buy snacks for am.
“Immediately she return, im ask her to bring di snacks into di room, and im lock di door, raise di volume of im radio set while im defile di victim.
Na a co-tenant of di suspect wey notice say e take some time before she come out of di suspect room, approach di teenager in di evening and she narrate to di co-tenant wetin happen inside im room, na so di neighbour go report for Mile 1 Police Division and officers come arrest di suspect last Sunday.”
SP Iringe Koko say di suspect dem transfer di suspect from Mile 1 Police Division to State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Port Hacourt for investigation.
Why incidents of defilement of minors dey increase?
More awareness dey now about dis issue of defilement of minors na im make pipo dey bold to come forward to report cases wen e happen.” Na so Emem Bridget Okon tok.
Emem Okon wey be di Coordinator of Kebetkache Women Development Resource Centre say di increase in reports na sign say di advocacy and sensitization wey gender rights Advocates dey do dey yield results.
“We don get several reports of six-year-old, three-year-old pikin wey dia fathers defile, some by close relations. Dis tin dey go on for many years and many girls don be victims of dis abuse but dem dey suffer in silence but now pipo dey get courage to come report becos of di awareness we don create.”
Mrs. Okon note say na wen di perpetrators of dis abuse gain di confidence and trust of dis girls na im dem dey fit get chance abuse dem.
She say since di Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act and di Child Rights Act dey, need dey to intensify awareness and understanding of parents wey get small pikin, especially di mothers so dem go dey more sensitive as to who dia girl pikin dey relate with.
“Some times wen di women begin dey caution, di men around go take offense say weda she dey suspect am but a mama or papa suppose caution di way dia male family friends and relatives dey relate with dia pikin and set boundaries to protect dem.
E also dey important to sensitise di pikin not to trust pipo wit actions wey no dey proper weda na uncle or pastor, especially wen di play don pass level wey dem no dey comfortable with.
Dis dey important becos some of dis victims no dey recover from di trauma and e dey make dem withdraw from society so we need to start early to sensitise dem.”
Di only way to check dis problem according to Emem Okon na to prosecute and punish di perpetrators so e go serve as warning to odas.
“Most times wen e happen, di pipo of di abuser go come beg and try to settle di parents or guardian of di pikin or even blackmail dem or threaten dem.
Sometimes, di mama dey aware of wetin dey go on but becos dem no wan lose di small tins dem dey gain, dem go pretend not to know or keep silent becos of shame of di stigma wey dey follow such.
But di bad tin be say dat abuser wey you let go scot free go still go abuse anoda pesin so e dey important say dem face di serious consequences of dia actions so odas go learn.”
