The Osun State Police Command reported on Saturday the arrest of an Islamic cleric known only as Kadiri for allegedly having carnal knowledge of a minor in Ede, Osun State.
The incident at Babasanya-Araka Ede sparked a protest by an irate mob, who attacked the suspect after he was arrested.
Abiodun Ojelabi, the command spokeswoman, told reporters that police officers were dispatched to the scene after the incident was reported.
“The matter was reported, and we deployed operatives to the scene. When our men got to the scene, the Amotekun men who arrested him handed him over to us.
“So, he is in our custody already. But we want the Division to investigate before the matter is transferred to SCID. That is all that is available for now,” Ojelabi said.
While providing additional details about the incident, Amotekun spokesperson Idowu Yusuf stated, “The suspect is an imam of a mosque. He also has an Arabic school in the area where he is teaching students Arabic. Further investigation is being done by the police.”
On how the culprit was apprehended, a local of Babasanya-Araka, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stated that the girl was discovered bleeding, causing her mother to enquire about what had occurred after she had gone missing a few hours earlier.
“The victim, about eight years old, was missing for some hours on Saturday, and her mother was already looking for her. When she was found, she was crying and bleeding. She was taken to the hospital in Ede, where she was checked,” the resident said.
