One Bright Okutuoma has been apprehended by men of the Rumuni Police Station of the Rivers State Police Command over an alleged rape of a five-year-old girl in Ibaa community, in the Emohua Local Government Area of the state.
It was chronicled that the culprit, Okutuoma, was at home when he sent his neighbor’s daughter to help him buy a sachet of water but raped her on her return.
Narrating the daughter’s ordeal at the station in the company of her husband and daughter, the victim’s mother stated that when her daughter returned with the sachet water, Okutuoma took her into his room and allegedly raped her.
The aggrieved mother, who is seeking justice, said after her neighbor perpetrated the dastardly act, he told her daughter she would die if she revealed anything about the illicit act to anybody.
She added that she got to know her daughter had been molested when her school teacher observed blood stains on her underwear.
“I have been using all the money I have to buy drugs but two to three days after (she uses) the drugs, the problem will continue. I no longer have money for treatment.
“My daughter can’t defecate or urinate on her own. The poo and pee just comes out on its own and her pants will be stained. She cannot even walk well with one of her legs and can’t stand well if you don’t hold her,” the mother said while shedding tears.
Confirming the incident, Grace Iringe-Koko, the state Police Public Relations officer, confirmed that Okutuoma who is the suspect in the rape case had been arrested, adding that the case would be transferred to the State CID after the holidays for proper investigation.
“The complaint should go to the Rumuni Police Division so that the matter can be transferred to the State CID and so that they can charge the matter to court. But the suspect in question is in police custody,” she said.
In her effort to get justice, the victim’s mother said she had been closely following up on the rape case.
However, she noted that a policewoman in charge of the rape case had been making efforts to circumvent the course of justice, adding that the policewoman, at the request of Okutuoma’s family, allegedly offered her N500, 000 to silence her outcry for justice.
She said, “What I need is that they should take this matter to court so that the government will know what this man did to my little daughter. I reported the suspect to the police but instead of the suspect spending money, I am the one feeding the suspect.
She further stated that each time she visit the station because of the case, the policewoman in charge if the case drives her out.
“A policewoman at the station asked me to keep quiet because I don’t have any say. She said the parents of the man want to bring N500,000 and that if I don’t want to accept I should be coming to their office. Since then, whenever I enter their office, the same woman will walk me out despite being the complaint”.
Reacting to the claims of the victim’s mother, the PPRO said, “If there is any conversation to settle out of court, the police is not aware of that. The Divisional Police Officer said he is ready to transfer the matter to the State CID, but the complainant is not forthcoming.
“So we (police) are not aware of any negotiation for out of court settlement and if any police officer is helping to do that he or she is on his own because the position of the DPO is very clear”.
