A 35-year-old man, simply identified as “Yellow,” has been apprehended in Ibere, Abia State, for allegedly raping a 5-year-old girl inside a room.
The suspect, who was brutally beaten by an angry mob that caught him in the act, confessed to having sexual contact with the innocent child, stating that he lured the girl with groundnuts.
“Yellow,” who begged the angry villagers for forgiveness, claimed that he was misled by the “Devil” to commit this heinous act, citing that the chilling weather from the rain had heightened his desires.
According to the suspect, he was sitting with some friends, eating groundnuts, when he later entered the building to retrieve something.
He alleged that upon entering the building, he saw the girl and offered her some groundnut seeds, after which she followed him inside, where he assaulted her.
The suspect further claimed that he attempted to be gentle with the child during this despicable act.
However, a source from Ibere reported that the assaulted child had been rushed to the hospital by her family for immediate medical attention.
The source also mentioned that the 35-year-old rapist was handed over to local security personnel for subsequent transfer to the police, who would conduct a thorough investigation.
As of the time of this report, the state’s police command had not confirmed awareness of the incident, as the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka, did not respond to messages sent regarding the matter.
The incident occurred barely four months after a 37-year-old man, Chiemela Ekeke, was sentenced to life in prison in Umuahia for raping a 4-year-old girl.