A middle-aged man has been arrested for allegedly raping his two daughters in Ibeskpo Asutan Local Government area of Akwa Ibom State.
The man, Joseph Sunday, raped his daughters aged 9 and 13 after separating from his wife.
A police source, who confirmed the rape, said the suspect was arrested by the command following reports against him by his 13-year-old daughter.
It was gathered that the daughter reported the illicit affair to the police after the father scolded and beat her up, having suspected a love affair between her and another man.
Upon his arrest, the suspect allegedly confessed to the crime, claiming that he wanted to test the potency of his manhood.
“My wife left me some years ago because of some family issues and relocated to Rivers State. I have been the only one taking care of my daughters. I just wanted to test if my manhood was still functional,” he was quoted to have said.
In a related development, two men suspected to be in their 70s, allegedly raped a 14-year-old girl in the state.
The first suspect reportedly claimed that the victim was his wife, adding that they met in a market and got married.
He added that the girl moved into his house and when he went out, his friend had sex with her.
The suspects, it was gathered, had been sleeping with the girl until they had a disagreement and the secret blew open.
They were arrested after one of their neighbours reported to the police.
“I was shocked when I overheard the two old men arguing over sex with the 14-year-old girl. The one that the girl stayed with accused his friend of always sneaking in to sleep with her any time he went out.
“I was worried and I decided to report them to the police. But the issue is that some boys, who said they are from the area, are threatening to deal with me if I don’t withdraw the case from the police,” the neighbour said.
The victim, it was gathered, had become pregnant without knowing the man responsible for the pregnancy.
The state police command said it was making effort to trace the girl’s family, adding that the victim had been taken to the Family Enhancement and Youths Reorientation Centre, a pet project run by the governor’s wife, Martha Emmanuel.
The police spokesman, Odiko MacDon, said all the cases would be charged to court.
He described rape as the height of moral decadence and called for attitudinal reorientation.
MacDon urged people to report perpetrators to the police.
“The command is seriously tackling issues of rape, defilement and gender-based violence. Some of the suspects are in police’ custody, some charged to court, some under investigation, while some have been convicted by the court,” he added.
Source: Punch
