Police arrests man for alleged defilement of eight-year-old boy in Anambra

Police operatives in Anambra State have arrested a 65-year-old man, Chuks Emele, for allegedly defiling an eight-year-old boy in Umunze, Orumba South local government area of the state.

Emele was arrested after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) petitioned the police following a complaint from the boy’s mother.

The accused told the police the incident happened three months ago when the boy came to collect his wage after working on his farm.

He said: “When he entered my room to collect his wage, I grabbed him and slept with him.

He, however, blamed the act on the work of the devil.

NHRC had in a letter signed by its Coordinator, Mrs. Nkechi Ugwuanyi, said the act violated Section 3 sub-sections 1, 2 and 3 of the State Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law of 2017.

She said the case was reported at the commission after the suspect refused to cooperate with stakeholders in the community who waded into the matter.

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Ugwuanyi said: “Defiling a minor of eight years is a criminal offence. The boy as we learnt had been sick since the incident. The community stakeholders stepped in but the suspect did not cooperate with them.

“We made effort to relocate the victim to Ntasi Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Enugwu-Ukwu, for proper treatment free of charge but the family did not agree.”

The spokesman of the state police command, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident to journalists on Tuesday.

He said: “The command is aware of the reported case and the matter is under investigation.”

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