A 75-year-old barber, Nwankwo Nweke has been arrested for defiling an 8-year-old girl in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
The suspect, who hails from Isi Agu in Awka South local government area of the state, confessed to the crime, claiming that ‘temptation that made him have carnal knowledge of the girl.’
The suspect pleaded for mercy and promised to be of good behaviour if the state government pardoned him.
The parents of the victim, Mr John and Mrs Ogochukwu Ugwuanyi explained that they sent their child to get something at a nearby shop around 7pm. When she came back they noticed the items weren’t complete and asked her to return to the shop after which they started looking for her.
The parents stated that they quickly went to the shop to look for her but didn’t see her which prompted them to raise alarm over her sudden disappearance in the neighbourhood.
Unknown to them, the suspect had already taken her to his house and told her not to answer her name.
They revealed that the suspect, who at the time was their neighbour, pushed the 8-year-old out of his room when he felt the search was over.
On how they knew what transpired between their daughter and the suspect, Mr and Mrs Ugwuanyi said that when their daughter finally came back that night, they questioned her to know what happened.
She told them that the suspect lured her to his house with a promise to give her mango.
They noted that it was at that point that they involved security operatives before taking their child to the hospital.
