A 50-year-old non-academic staff of College of Education, Akwanga, Nasarawa State, Danladi Daniel has been arrested for allegedly defiling a seven-year-old orphan.
The victim has reportedly been living with her grandfather for four years at Ungwar Loko, Gwanje village in Akwanga Local Government Area of the state, after her parents died.
According to the little girl, she woke up one day and discovered that she was the only one at home; and decided to sit outside their compound.
She disclosed that one ‘Uncle Dan’ whose house is near to theirs, asked her to come and meet him, but she refused.
She said; “He left and still returned pretending as if he was fetching water from the well. And before I knew what was going on, he dragged me to his room, removed my pants and slept with me.”
The grandfather of the victim recalled not seeing his granddaughter at home on the day the incident happened.
He said; “My belief at first was that my granddaughter was kidnapped to an unknown destination. I was totally confused and devastated when I couldn’t set my eyes on her.
“Upon searching for her within the neighbourhood as I kept on shouting her name at the top of my voice, I saw her limping out of Dan’s room. Her eyes were looking red; she was sweating.
“I asked her what happened, then she revealed that my neighbour, Danladi Daniel, dragged her to his room and had sex with her. I immediately took her to a nearby health centre for a test and it was confirmed that she had been defiled. We also saw blood on her clothes and private part.”
The Protection Manager, Gamun Centre for Care and Development, Mrs Blessing Tulari, affirmed that the victim was traumatized as a result of the defilement, adding that she urgently needs medical attention and care.
Daily Trust reported that Tulari lamented the high rate of sexual abuse against minors across the 13 local government areas of the state, pointing out that between January and July 2022, 12 cases of defilement had been recorded.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, who confirmed the incident said; “The suspect, Mr Danladi Daniel, a non-academic staff of the College of Education, Akwanga, has been arrested for allegedly defiling the seven-year-old orphan.”
The suspect has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department in Lafia for further investigations.