An 80-year-old cabinet Chief, Vincent Okoye, of Umueri, Anambra East Local Government Area, Anambra has been nabbed by the State Police Command for allegedly defiling a 10-year old girl at a building site in the community.
The President of All Nations Arise and Manifest Initiative (ANAM), Mrs Tessy Aniesi, who disclosed this on Saturday, noted that the case was brought to the organisation by Chairperson of Umuada Umueri, Mrs Chinasa Madisife, after it was reported at the Police Area Command, Otuocha Division.
According to Aniesi, the suspect is a building contractor and a friend of the victim’s mother, and had confessed to the crime after his arrest on April 26, 2022.
She said the suspect, who was incidentally a friend of the victim’s mother (a trader), was arrested on April 26 while the victim was taken to New life Hospital, Umueri where her alleged defilement was confirmed.
According to her, “The workers at the site the suspect is supervising said they noticed that each time the girl comes to run errands for him, he takes her to one of the buildings and lock the door. On April 26, they saw her come out of the building crying.
“When she was queried, she narrated that the suspect always had sex with her whenever her mother ask her to come and run errands for him. The workers confronted the man and called the attention of the vigilante group, the Igwe and the Umuada of Umueri community, and eventually ANAM took up the matter.”
Confirming the report, the Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra State, PPRO Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed that the force had conducted investigation into the matter after which they equally charged the suspect to court.
On his part, the traditional ruler of Umueri, Igwe Benneth Emeka stated that the suspect had been suspended from his cabinet, because according to him, the act was a taboo and embarrassment to the community.
“The man in question is a member of my cabinet, he is my financial secretary and immediately the matter was reported, we suspended him and he can never come back to the cabinet again. The matter has been taken to court and that shows that the community does not condone such crime. We have also given the girl scholarship to show our concern and protect her future.”
