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| Ondo Commissioner of Police. |
A 23-year-old man, Emmanuel Usman, is in police custody in Ondo State following allegations that he sexually violated a 14-year-old girl at Ijebu-Owo, in the Owo Local Government Area.
The state police command’s spokesman, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed the development in a statement on Monday, saying the teenager walked into a police station on March 29 to lodge her complaint.
The girl told investigators that Usman dragged her by force into an office belonging to his employer along Ijebu-Owo, where he had sexual intercourse with her against her will.
She also told police that the suspect warned her to keep quiet about what happened, threatening her with harm if she dared speak to anyone about the assault.
Notwithstanding the intimidation, the teenager summoned courage and approached the police, triggering a swift response from operatives attached to the command’s Gender-Based Violence Unit.
Jimoh said detectives acted without delay upon receiving the report, tracked down the suspect, and took him into custody, where he made a statement that is helping to advance the investigation.
He added that charges would be filed against Usman in court once detectives wrap up their work, while the victim has since received medical care at the General Hospital, Owo.
The command, he said, is also putting in place emotional and psychological support for the teenager to help her cope through the legal process ahead.
Jimoh disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, personally directed that the matter be treated with the highest level of care, speed, and professionalism.
He said Lawal restated the command’s determination to confront sexual and gender-based violence in all its dimensions across the state, warning that offenders would not escape justice.
The command called on families and members of the public to stay alert, teach young ones how to protect themselves, and report anything suspicious to the nearest police station without hesitation.
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