The Bauchi State Police Command says it has arrested five men in connection with the repeated sexual abuse of a minor in Zadawa community, Misau LGA of the state.
The police spokesperson in Bauchi, Ahmed Wakil, confirmed the arrests in a statement on Tuesday.
Mr Wakil identified the suspects as Sulaiman Adamu, 42; Umar Adamu, 45; Musa Ibrahim, 40; Shu’aibu Abubakar, 47; and Muhammad Sanusi, all residents of Zadawa.
He said the arrests followed a complaint lodged at the Misau Divisional Police Headquarters by guardians of the victim.
According to him, preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects lured the victim at different times and allegedly exploited her by offering money before sexually assaulting her.
The victim was taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Misau, where medical examination confirmed she had been abused, Mr Wakil said.
He added that the suspects confessed to the crime during interrogation.
“Moreover the first suspect, Muhammad Sunusi confessed to having nurtured the private part of the minor since she was at aged of 5yrs, where the minor use to play in his house with their age mates and use that opportunity to influence the minor into his Room and fingered her private part frequently, up to the level where he penetrates the minor private part in different occasions.
“Also, the second suspect, Suleiman Adamu, confessed that he sometimes sat at the doorstep of his shop at Zadawa village, where the minor was passing by and marched his legs,” he said.
“She needs two hundred naira to buy food, but the suspect declined the request, which the minor offered herself to have sexual intercourse with her on condition of giving her the requested amount. He agreed and fulfilled with N500 naira as he promised after the sexual intimacy each time on three different occasions, including his farm located at Zadawa village,” the statement said.
He said the third suspect, Musa Ibrahim, confessed to having taken advantage of the minor after she asked him for money and lured her to a shop located at Zadawa, and had carnal knowledge of her under the promise of giving her N500.
“In addition, the fourth suspect, Umar Adamu, admitted and disclosed that he sometimes meets the minor by the roadside within Zadawa village when he was just back from Taraba State and asked for help of N500 naira and refused to give the money when the minor offered herself if he was interested. The suspect promises to give the requested amount if the minor cooperates well and subsequently had canal knowledge with the minor under the influence of the promise.
“Also, the fifth suspect (Shu’aibu Abubakar) confessed that he had the story of the minor from his friend (Musa Ibrahim), who gave him the complete history of how the minor was seeking money and had intercourse with several people. Thereafter, the suspect approached the minor, had intercourse with her, and gave her N500 naira,” Wakil said.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has directed the Criminal Investigation Department to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure the case is charged to court, the statement said.
