Three men were on Sunday arrested by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons in connection with the rape of a 12-year-old girl, who was delivered of a baby girl at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State.
The suspects according to The PUNCH, identified as 30-year-old Joseph Arudamhe, a pastor; 59-year-old Ohue Otaifo, a herbalist; and 30-year-old Ambrose Okohere, a farmer, will be arraigned this week.
A source at NAPTIP said the suspects confessed to repeatedly having carnal knowledge of the girl.
It was reported that the victim lost her father at the age of five and was asked to stay with the pastor when she was six and she was raped repeatedly by Arudamhe until she was taken away to stay with the native doctor, who also took advantage of her.
She was said to have been taken to her aunt but a neighbour raped her repeatedly until she got pregnant.
According to the newspaper, sources at the ISTH said the vicitm, who was delivered of a baby girl, was earlier admitted for a case of pre eclampsia (a hypertensive disorder in pregnancy) and she was booked for an emergency caesarean section and a medical expert at the ISTH, Dr Eugene Usifoh, had earlier on his Facebook page, described the situation as an unhappy story as he was in total disarray while almost shedding tears.
He wrote: “You know what? She is just 12 years old; yes, a minor, who hasn’t even seen her first period and since ovulation occurs before menstruation, she probably ovulated and sadly her first ovulation got her pregnant at this tender age.
“I really don’t know the kind of supervision she got from her caregivers but one thing I know is that they failed to protect her; they failed to shield her from the wickedness of this world; they failed to perform their duties as caregivers and guardians, as such, life got her scared. Imagine being a mother at 12.”
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