Police To Arraign Man Who Allegedly Raped 15-Year-Old Student In Anambra

The suspected rapist of a 15-year-old girl of Ado Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State, will be arraigned in court on 29th March, 2024.

This was disclosed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra State Police Command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, on Friday.

Recall that one James Innoma was arrested for allegedly raping the 15-year-old some days ago.

The date of his arraignment was disclosed by DSP Ikenga when the Commissioner for Education, Anambra State, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, visited the state Criminal Investigation Department in Awka to get updates on the rape.

Prof Chuma-Ude was accompanied to the state CID by the Chairman of the Committee on Education at the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon Emmanuel Okpalaeke.

DSP Ikenga thanked the Anambra State Ministry of Education for being proactive in reporting the case to the first responder, the Inland Police Station, Onitsha, when the incident happened before it was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for investigations.

He also appreciated Governor Chukwuma Soludo for providing a special court through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare where gender-based violence cases are tried.

Ikenga told our correspondent in Awka on Friday that the victim revealed that she was sent on errand by her parents when the suspect lured her and raped her.

On how the police responded on getting the report, Ikenga said, “When the police received the case, they took the victim to the hospital where a series of tests were conducted which established that indeed there was defilement. We were able to arrest the suspect and during the interrogation, he confessed to the crime.”

Ikenga described rape as a crime against God and man, and regretted the trauma the act might expose the girl to. He also advised parents to protect their children through sex education and proper guides.

Quoting him, “We seize this opportunity to reach out to parents and guardians to always watch out for their children and wards, when and where they send them to avoid exposing them to any form of vulnerability. The man took advantage of her while she walking along a lonely road after she was sent on an errand.”