A suspect identified as Oku Ekanem has been arrested in Bayelsa State for alleged defilement of a 15-month-old baby.
The incident reportedly occurred in the Swali area of the metropolis.
The 50-year-old Ekanem, said to be an indigene of Akwa Ibom State, was arrested by men of the state’s security outfit codenamed, Operation Doo Akpo.
It was learnt that the incident, which occurred about 1am on Monday, provoked anger among residents, particularly women lawyers under the auspices of the International Federation of Women Lawyers.
The suspect, who was said to be a lover to mother of the child, Blessing Joshua, was allegedly caught in the act.
Joshua, the 40-year-old mother of the victim, said she was shocked when she caught Ekanem defiling her daughter.
She said, “I heard the scream of my child and ran to where the cry was coming from. I was shocked when I saw him (Ekanem) defiling my child.
“ He claimed it was the work of the devil and I told him that this would be the last time the devil would use him. I invited the police.
“He was arrested, but he denied the act. But a test carried out at the hospital showed that the minor was defiled.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairperson of FIDA in Bayelsa State, Dise Ogbise Erhisere, described the act as “barbaric and wicked, which can impede the healthy development of the child.”
Calls to the spokesman for the Bayelsa State Police Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, proved abortive as his mobile phone failed to connect.
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