A 17-year-old boy has been arrested for alleged defilement of a seven-year-old girl.
The incident occurred at 4, Obanta Road, Apapa, Lagos.
The Nation learnt that the victim’s mother became aware of the defilement on November 3, after her youngest child, who felt cheated about the ice cream bought for them, disclosed the incident to her (the mother).
A representative of a human rights group, the Arms of Comfort Foundation, Adejumo Kazeem, said the child told their mother that her sister had been sucking Brother …’s ‘toi toi’ (manhood).
Kazeem said: “The woman lodged a complaint. She alleged that on November 3, she became aware that her daughter had been sucking the boy’s manhood.
“The woman said she bought ice cream for her two daughters to share. The elder one gave the younger one little and she was not happy about it.
“Then, she threatened her elder sister that she would disclose the secret they had been keeping to their mummy. Their mother heard and asked the younger one to speak up. That was when the younger one told her that Brother… had been making the seven-year-old girl to suck his toi toi (manhood).
“The woman asked the victim if it was true. She initially refused to open up, but later begged the mother not to tell her father. The woman agreed that she would not tell their father and the girl said she had done it three times.
“The woman quoted her daughter as saying that the boy (suspect) one day attempted to penetrate her, but he was unsuccessful. She said when her husband (the father) heard about it, he was furious. The woman alleged that the boy had also defiled a neighbour’s son, but the incident was not reported.”
Continuing, Kazeem said the woman and her daughter were referred to the Mirable Centre, Lagos for examination, where it was established that the girl had been penetrated through the anus and private parts.
He added: “They were counselled before they were referred to the centre for check-up. The results proved that the girl had been defiled. She was given drugs at the centre.
“We were asked if the matter had been reported to the police and we said no. We assured them that we would do so once we got back. They said the test result can be given to us, but the medical report is confidential and can only be given on request either to the police or the court.
“Immediately we left Mirabel Centre, the Executive Director, Arms of Comfort Foundation, wrote a letter to the Area ‘B’ Police Station, Apapa and copied the Medical Officer and Education Officer at the Apapa Local Government.
“When we explained everything and presented the letter to the police on November 8, they rejected the letter because we did not notify them before referring the victim to hospital for test and treatment.
“Another thing they said that baffled me was that we would have to motivate them financially. The victim’s mother said her husband had told his relatives abroad and they were interested in the case.
“When the police heard this, they told her to call the person. That they would like to speak with the person and she did. It was later that day that I called the woman and she said the boy had been arrested. She said the boy confessed to the crime.”
Police spokesman Chike Oti confirmed the incident.
He said the case was at the gender section of the command.
Oti said: “The suspect was arrested and transferred to the gender section. He is underage and ill. So, he was given an administrative bail and handed over to his parents so that he could be treated. The suspect will be arraigned when he gets better.”