An 80-year-old man identified as Pa. Stephen has been taken into custody by the Bayelsa State Police Command on charges of allegedly defiling a 10-year-old pupil in the Otuokpoti Community, Ogbia Local Government Area.
According to reports filed by some gender advocacy groups in the state, the man was fingered by indigenes of the community as a serial paedophile and sick with advanced piles and hernia.
The gender advocacy groups, when alerted about the incident stormed the Otuokpoti community and ensured that the culprit was reported to the divisional police headquarters.
The foster mother of the victim told newsmen that she noticed that the girl was showing signs of sickness and had become absent-minded when carrying out domestic chores.
She said: ”Many of my neighbours warned me that they noticed that the elderly accused gave some money to the kid and warned me to be on alert that the elderly accused is a serial paedophile.”
It was alleged that the elderly accused had been secretly defiling the child for over 12 months without the knowledge of the foster mother.
On the fateful day, a concerned member of the community noticed the child entering the old man’s house on her way from school. She immediately raised an alarm and they forcibly rescued her. The victim admitted that the defilement started last year.
The spokesman of the Bayelsa State Police Command, Musa Mohammed confirmed the development.
He said: “The elderly man who was allegedly involved in a case of defilement was arrested by operatives of Otuokpoti division.
“The suspect and victim have been transferred to the Bayelsa State Criminal Investigation Department, Yenagoa and the Commissioner of Police, has directed prompt and diligent investigation into the matter.”
