By Ogar Monday
A retired officer of the Nigeria Police Force, Mr. Christopher Archibong has been arrested and detained at the Mbukpa Police station for allegedly raping a 9 year old girl in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The mother of the victim, Mrs. Peace Edem Okon said she had gone to the market and left instructions with the victim to wash the clothes of her siblings and upon her return discovered that something foul had happened.
“When I got back I discovered that my daughter wasn’t herself, all efforts to make her tell me what was wrong were futile. Then the younger ones told me that blood was coming out from her bottom. I was surprise and thought she had started seeing her period”
“It was when I bought pad and tried helping her fix it that I discovered it was mucus, and upon persuasion she told me what happened”.
The victim (names withheld) said the incident occurred on May 31, 2017 when her mother went to the market and left her with the siblings when the accused visited asking about the whereabouts of her father and mother whom she replied had gone out.
“So (he) told me to come and pick some firewood. So as I went to pick the firewood, he came and held me to the ground and climbed on me,” read her statement.
She said she shouted and was going to tell her mother but the accused threatened that he will kill her and she “will sleep and will not wakeup” and unzipped his trouser and raped her.
The victim said when the mother came and saw her and asked what has happened she was scared to speak-up as the accused had threatened that she would die and she only told her mother “because my mother wanted to die”.
Mrs. Theresa Okpa of Basic Rights Council (BRCI), the law firm handling the case told CrossRiverWatch that the family of the victim fears the case may be compromised, especially as the accused is a former Police officer.
She added that the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Commissioner are already involved and aware of the case as the organization will do all it can do make sure this particular case is not swept under the carpet.
The medical report Form D5 of the victim seen by our correspondent shows that the child was defiled.
Meanwhile, information reaching CrossRiverWatch as at press time shows that the matter has been moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department following allegations that he may had compromised Police officers in the Mbukpa police station.