19-year-old arrested for allegedly raping minor in Kwara

A 19-year-old man identified as Jamiu Akande has been arrested by operatives of Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for allegedly raping a 9-year-old girl (name withheld) in the Pakata area of Ilorin, the state capital.

The Spokesman of NSCDC in the state, Ayoola Michael, who disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday, April 18, said the Director of the Child Unit of the state Ministry of Women Affairs, Mariam Yusuf reported the incident at its office in Ilorin on Tuesday.

Michael explained that the ministry took the decision to report the case to NSCDC following a distress call from Babareke House at Ipata Oloje area of Ilorin.

“Without delay, the Command swiftly responded and apprehended the suspect after painstaking efforts by officers of the Command, ” the statement said

It added that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect frequently visited the victim’s residence under the guise of seeing his friend, thereby gaining access to the victim.

“He lured the victim to an uncompleted building on the 1st of December 2023 and sexually assaulted her. Subsequently, on April 16th, 2024, he sent her to buy bread for him and then led her to a dilapidated building where he subjected her to additional sexual abuse. The victim disclosed that the suspect has been sexually assaulting her since December 2023,” the statement added

The NSCDC’s spokesman went on to state that the suspect has confessed to the crime and will be charged to a court of competent jurisdiction for prosecution.