Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Four suspected rapists, Fidelis Iorpuu, 50, Shuaibu Haruna, 35, Ugwuanyi Kenneth, 29 and Samuel Ene, 53, were, on Tuesday, paraded by the Benue State Police command.
This was as thousands of people trooped out to the streets of Makurdi and Otukpo to demand justice for Ochanya Ogbanje, who was alleged raped to death by a 50-year-old man, Andrew Ogbuja, and his son, Victor.
The suspects were alleged to have raped young girls between the ages of five and 12 at various locations and at different times in Benue State.
Speaking to our correspondent, Iorpuu, who was said to have raped a 12-year-old daughter of his neighbor, said he actually tried to rape the girl (names withheld) on three different occasions, but she did not allow him penetrate her.
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“Yes, I tried to rape the girl but I no enter her because she refused. After sometime, my mind come tell me say wet in I dey do no good. So, I stop am.
“Later, the girl came tell her Aunty about what happened but we don settle the matter and I don beg them. Even my brothers hear about it and they warn me never to do that again,” the suspected rapist father of four stated.
He said the bubble burst when the molested girl went and confided in her school teacher after they were told the story of Ochanya’s Ogbanje who died from complications arising from years of molestation by father and son.
Confirming the report, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Moses Yamu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said Ochanya’s case had created more awareness and further emboldened parents and guardians to come out and report rape cases.
“The Benue Police Command wants to use this medium to encourage parents and guardians to report such cases to police without fear or favour.
“These are not cases that you sit and settle at home because that is why it keeps on repeating itself.”