Child defilement is becoming a source of concern in Benin-City, Edo
State capital. It is even more worrisome when the act is carried out by
supposedly men of God.
In the last few weeks, no fewer than five children have, allegedly,
been defiled in Benin-City by men old enough to be their fathers. On
Thursday, Edo State Police Command paraded 32 suspected criminals,
amongst them, three accused of defiling children.
The suspects include a pastor with the Deeper Life Bible Church,
Abudu, Edo State, Eze Fidelis, who was said to have had carnal knowledge
of two girls: Joy, 9, and Anthonia,11.There is also the case of one
Grace, 12, who was sent on an errand by her mother to get her a
rechargeable lantern from a hall within their compound.
When the said girl failed to return after 30 minutes, the mother went
in search of her, only to discover that one Segun Oteru, 42, was
allegedly having carnal knowledge of her in the hall.The woman raised
the alarm which attracted members of the public while the suspect was
arrested.The incident happened on July 6. The following day, one
Saturday Cole, 35, and a co-tenant of the complainant (names withheld),
allegedly lured the complainant’s daughter, identified as Mariam, 11,
into his room and had a carnal knowledge of her.
While the victim was coming out from the suspect’s room, her elder
brother saw her and, on inquiry, discovered that the victim was not
putting on her pants. The victim narrated her ordeal in the hands of the
suspect. According to the victim, “uncle has always bought me things
but I didn’t know he wanted to have anything with me. He forced me and
removed my dress, I was shouting but he closed my mouth and forced his
penis inside me”.
On July 12, one Eugene Odozor, 46, allegedly took a 13-year-old girl,
identified as Oluwabunmi,into his room and forced her to lie on his bed
where she was said to have been defiled by the suspect. For Eze, the
suspect in the September 11, 2013 alleged rape, luck ran out on him
after one Joseph observed that his daughter Joy, 9, was not walking
properly. While suspecting that the daughter may have been defiled, he
invited her inside the room and threatened to deal with her if she
refused to say the truth. The little girl allegedly that her pain
started after she had sexual intercourse with the pastor. She further
confessed that the pastor had intercourse with her friend, Anthonia, 11,
too. Joy revealed that the unwholesome practice had been going on for
about a year.