Residents of a building located at Onueke Town, Ebonyi State, have been living like brothers and sisters for years. Although most of them met in the compound, they had however, developed love and affection for one another. A visitor wouldn’t be able to differentiate the kids.
There was rapport and easy camaraderie among them. The kids are often seen dashing from one apartment to another. The children acted like kids of the same parents.
But in this Garden of Eden, resides a serpent, Mr. Nwoja. The unsuspecting neighbours didn’t know his true nature until one of their children started having pains inside her private part. The girl’s parents almost collapsed in shock when the child revealed that Nwoja had serially raped her. The man didn’t just insert his fingers into the girls’ private parts, he also inserted his manhood. His wife was said to have travelled to the village since the news of the incident broke out.
Other parents quickly rallied round, comforting the mother of the girl and dishing out advice. Their good advice however ceased in shock after more kids in the compound revealed that the man raped them too. When the victims were counted, they were about nine girls. While mothers took to crying, fathers sharpened their swords. Others tried to calm frayed nerves. Seething fathers were finally persuaded to take the matter to the police. What makes a man to resort to defiling nine female children?
This was the question on the lips of the people of Onueke Town and the entire people of Ebonyi State. Nwoja, a father of three, in his forties, is now being described by his once loving neighbours as someone that couldn’t be trusted, especially where female kids were concerned.
Nwoja, a cab driver, was accused of defiling nine children between ages six and 10. He was alleged to have been defiling the girls for long without anybody being aware. One of the affected children is said to have contracted infection following the defilement. Trouble started after one of the mothers noticed her little girl was experiencing pains in her private part, apparently due to injuries sustained during penile penetration.
One of the victims, Precious (surname withheld), a 10-year-old, said Nwoja had had s.ex with her about five times, adding that he usually does it in secluded areas, including inside his car. Precious further said: “Sometimes, I would be in a deep sleep, he would come and carry me to a corner in the yard and do it. Last time, he carried me while I was sleeping in the house and took me to the bush, at the back of our yard. He asked me to pull off my clothes. When I refused, he torn them off, removed his own clothes and raped me.
He also used to have s.ex with me inside his car. He usually parks the car at the back of the compound.” Another victim, Amarachi, said that it started one night when her father sent her on errand. The suspect approached and requested for se.x. She recounted: “When he came to me and said he wanted to have se.x with me, I ran, but he caught and dragged me into the bush. He removed my pants and raped me. I shouted, but no one heard me because the place was lonely and far from where people reside.
Afterward, he used his handkerchief to clean my body.” Some other affected children said the man inserted his fingers into their private parts. One of the parents, Mrs. Elizabeth Nweke said: “I was bathing my little daughter and massaging her body when I noticed she was hurting. I made attempts to wash her body very well but she would always remove my hand whenever I wanted to wash her private part. Whenever I tried, she would wince in pains.
“I asked her what happened to her and she told me Nwoja used to remove her pant and his own, and would insert his manhood into her private part. I shouted because I never expected him to do that sort of thing.” Mrs. Nweke said she reported the matter to members of the community. Nwoja was immediately summoned. After much interrogation, the suspect allegedly admitted to the crime. Another parent, Monday Obaji, said Nwoja was handed over to the police in Onueke.
The parents were however shocked to see him at home that same day. He had been released. The parents alleged that the police were trying to sweep the matter under the carpet. The Chairperson of Family Law Centre, Mrs. Elizabeth Nwali, charged with the responsibility of handling such cases, explained that the Centre petitioned the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), following anxiety over the suspect’s sudden release from detention.
Nwali, who condemned the defilement of the children, said the Centre would ensure justice was done. She called on parents to avoid sending their underage girls on errands in the night, to avoid being raped or s.exually molested. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr. George Okafor said the matter was under investigation. He said the matter would have been charged to court, but for the Christmas break. He added that the affected families were yet to bring their victims for medical test. Okafor added: “The matter would be charged to court after investigation.
The police have not compromised the case. We’re not covering the matter, but a medical examination must be carried out on those children as part of our investigation. Their parents have not brought them to us for medical examination. We have made arrangement for the medical examination. This is a delicate matter that requires number of things to prove the case. The man in question is still in our custody.
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