[dropcap type=”3″]A [/dropcap]thirty-five-year-old and father of three in Mkpuma, Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Ejike Nwuzor, was at the weekend, caught by villagers for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old girl.
Nwuzor was caught by a farmer, Oliver Nwegede, who said he was working on his farm when he saw Ejike harassing the girl.
Nwegede said the girl’s scream attracted him.
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“The girl was struggling with Nwuzor, crying and begging him to leave her. So instead of coming out immediately to rescue her, I hid very well in the bush.
“Nwuzor overpowered the girl and this forced me out of the bush but before I could come out, another man, who might have heard the cry, stormed the scene.
“We took Nwuzor while we got cloth from some women in the farm to cover the victim’s nakedness because her clothes were already torn and then we reported to the villagers,” he said.
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The youths paraded Nwuzor round the community, forcing him to dance to disgraceful songs which they chanted. The show lasted for four hours.
He was later tortured by the elders who demanded that he offset the victim’s medical bill with a threat to ostracise him if caught in such dastardly act again.
Narrating her ordeal, the victim said she was returning from an errand and at a lonely place, she heard someone whisper.
“I suddenly saw Ejike Nwuzor Okemini after the whisper; he dragged me into a corner of the bush and told me to pull off my clothes, which I refused.
“Because I did not agree, he started tearing my clothes and pounced on me. A man who saw us ran to the scene and nabbed him. Another man joined and arrested him and got clothes from a woman for me”, the girl said.
Police spokesman Chris Anyanwu said he was yet to receive official report on the matter.