The police in Cross River state say a former member of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Patrick Uguge, has been apprehended over alleged rape of wife’s niece.
The Commissioner of Police in the State, Balarabe Sule, who confirmed the arrest and incarceration of the ex-lawmaker, said Uguge allegedly committed the crime at a hotel in Ogoja on April 21, 2023.
The victim is said to be a 19-year-old girl who stays with the suspect’s wife.
The incident is reported to have occurred April 21, 2023, according to Human Rights lawyer, James Ibor of Basic Right Council Initiative (BRCI) who decried the alarming rate of rape in the state.
The suspect represented Ogoja State Constituency between 2007 to 2015.
Barrister Ibor said: “The suspect alleged that the man raped her in a hotel at Ogoja. When the girl came to us, we had to verify and confirm her story. We put up a petition to the Police, who took the suspect into custody.
“Rape is a felony and the rate of sexual abuse is alarming. So we need to protect the female gender from predators. We are in touch with the girl’s parents, who have confirmed that the victim was still a virgin before the suspect raped her,” Ibor said.