9 paraded for child molestation, stealing in Abia

Mr. Leye Oyebade, Abia State Commissioner of Police

The police in Abia have arrested three suspects alleged to have sexually abused a 12-year-old girl, as well as six suspects involved in various criminal activities in the state.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Leye Oyebade, announced the arrests at a news briefing in Umuahia on Thursday.

Oyebade said that the command would not relent in its resolve to rid the state of criminals, adding that the command had adopted strategies for crime management.

Oyebade said that on Oct. 18, three men were arrested in Amuvi village in Arochukwu Local Government Area for defiling a 12-year-old girl.

The commissioner said that the suspects took turns to sexually abuse the victim, adding that the suspects were arrested following an alarm by her guardian.

One of the suspects, Uche Nwaokoro, admitted that he committed the crime and said that it was the devil that made him do it.

Nwokoro said that he used to lure the victim to his house with gifts and that he regretted his actions.

Speaking with newsmen, the victim’s guardian revealed that “the suspects encouraged my sister to be disobedient and always run away from the house whenever she is scolded for misbehaving.

“This has been the practice until she went missing for two days recently and upon investigation, it was discovered that these men have been sexually abusing my sister.”

In a similar development, the police said an undergraduate in Aba had been arrested for possessing one Mercedes Benz 230E with registration number UMA 134 HR.

The suspect, according to the police commissioner, was the leader of a syndicate and his arrest led to the recovery of another Mercedes-Benz 230E.

Oyebade said that the vehicle was reported stolen on Oct. 9, adding that the blacksmith that fabricated keys for the syndicate was also in police net.

The police boss said that a two-man gang involved in vandalizing street lights and stealing solar batteries in Isuochi in Umunneochi local government had also been arrested.

Oyebade said that the suspects sold the items to two traders in Onitsha, who paid N22,000 for the six batteries recovered during the arrest of the traders.