In Egbo community, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta state, a 37-year-old married man and father of four, Emmanuel Ighoruemu, has been arrested for defiling an 8-year-old girl.
The suspect, who is a friend and neighbor of the victim’s parents, allegedly committed the heinous crime in his matrimonial bedroom while the girl’s parents were away on a day trip.
Ighoruemu threatened to kill the girl if she revealed the incident and offered her 500 Naira, which she rejected.
Activist Kelvin Ejumudo revealed that Ighoruemu had previously raped a minor in the same community in 2023. Instead of reporting the incident to authorities, community youths flogged him and accepted a settlement, allowing him to continue his predatory behavior.
Ighoruemu is currently in police custody and will face charges on November 6, 2024. The young victim is undergoing medical treatment for severe physical and emotional trauma, including warts infection, a broken hymen, and vulva rupture.
Ejumudo emphasized the importance of reporting such cases to the authorities, urging community leaders to refrain from settling rape and defilement cases out of court.
“This is a criminal matter that requires prosecution, not settlement,
” he stressed.
