19-year-old man arrested over defiling 5-year-old girl in Maracha

Habibu Apiku allegedly defiled the minor last Friday

Police in Maracha district has arrested a 19-year-old man for allegedly defiling a five-year-old girl. The suspect, Habibu Apiku is a resident of Kololo West village, Vurra Parish in Tara sub-county.

It is alleged that Apiku took advantage of the absence of the minor’s parents and lured her to his house last Friday before defiling her and thereafter fleeing to an unknown place.

The matter came into the limelight on Saturday after the parents noticed blood oozing out of the girl’s private parts. Richard Amazu, Tara sub-county LC III vice chairperson explains that the residents upon hearing the incident, mounted a search for Apiku.

According to Amazu, the suspect survived being lynched by the mob after he was found hiding in Kololo trading centre on Monday. Police from Tara Police quickly post intervened and arrested him.

Dante Obia, another resident, described the incident as unfortunate and inhumane and attributed the vice to moral degeneration and drug abuse among the youth in the district. According to police, the suspect has been charged with aggravated defilement. Records from Tara police post indicate that at least three defilement cases have been registered from July 2023 to date.