2 men arrested for allegedly defiling 4 siblings in Anambra

By LUCY OSUIZIGBO-OKECHUKWU

Davina Care Foundation, an NGO, has vowed to ensure the prosecution of Peter Ezeala, 61, and Elochukwu Igwilo, 27, who were arrested for defiling four underaged sisters.

Executive Director of the foundation, Mrs Rachel Yohanna, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in an interview on Monday in Awka, that the incident occurred in Umudim, Nnewi North Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra.

Yohanna said Ezeala, a driver and Igwilo, a welder, repeatedly abused the four sisters, who were only 10 years, eight years, five years and 11 months old.

The activist told NAN that health workers at the Ntasi Centre for Sexual Assault cases, Enugu-Ukwu General Hospital, drew her attention to the incident.

She said the two men, who were resident in the same compound as the victims’ parents, continually defiled the girls whenever their mother went to hawk African Salad, popularly known as “Abacha”.

Yohanna said she quickly reported the alleged crime at the Central Police Station in Nnewi on Feb. 18, leading to the arrest of the suspects, who confessed to the crime.

“The mother of the victims said she came back one day and over heard one of the neighbours telling her 10-year-old daughter to tell her mother.

“On further interrogation of her daughter, she found that the two suspects have been defiling her four daughters whenever she went out for her business.

“The mother took the two oldest daughters to Ntasi Centre, where their result came out positive

“The hospital then asked her to bring the last two daughters for test and the results also came out positive.

“The 11-month-old girl has a fresh tear at the posterior fourchette area of her vagina. The victims’ mother and their uncle were advised to report the matter at the Central Police Station in Nnewi afterwards,” she said.

Yohanna said the victims were currently being treated while the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Awka, for further investigation.

She said her foundation was collaborating with other NGOs such as the Creative Minds Centre For Youth And Community Development, to ensure that Ezeala and Igwilo would not go unpunished for such a heinous crime.

She further said the case had been charged to court, while the organisations were mobilising support to follow up the case to ensure the victims got the medical care and justice they deserved. (NAN)