A lady, Progress Don-Pedro, has narrated how a 21-year-old male neighbour allegedly sodomised her younger brother of 10 years.
According to PUNCH, Don-Pedro said the suspect, Divine Soibifa-Akpanah, threatened her brother after the act in their home on Ikwerre Road, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
She said, “It happened twice. The first happened in 2020 and he threatened my brother not to say anything. The second happened on April 25, 2022. A 13-year-old boy that lives with the boy’s family saw him committing the act. The boy confronted my brother and my brother told him everything. The boy then reported everything to my mom.”
Don-Pedro said her brother did not want to tell their mom until he was promised to be taken out of the country.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the case was reported at the Mile 1 Police Station on May 3 and Soibifa-Akpanah was arrested the following day.
Don-Pedro said the suspect admitted to sodomising her brother.
“However, the police said they could not hold him for more than 24 hours and he was granted bail. We then told them to transfer the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department. My mom submitted a petition to the Commissioner of Police and also reported the case at the state CID. They told her they would take over the case from Mile 1 Police Station,” she added.
The victim’s sister said her mom informed her two weeks ago that the Investigating Police Officer had asked her to inform the police whenever they saw the suspect.
“The IPO and the DPO said they would arrest the boy’s father, but my mom had to pay for the transport since she was the complainant. We have just been spending money. This same boy molested my younger sister in 2020 when she was just four years old. His mom begged and signed an undertaking that he would not come close to my siblings. My immediate younger sister, who is 13-year-old, also said the suspect had been begging her for sex,” she added.
She noted that the boy’s father was arrested when the police could not find the suspect, adding that he was charged to court last week and granted bail.
The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, but made no further comment.
In a text message, she said, “The case has been charged to court.”
A legal practitioner, Wasiu Adereti, said sexual relations involving the same gender were not only unlawful, but also unnatural.
A psychologist, Dr Mathew Olasupo, said victims of such abuse would experience short and long-term psychological effects, which could lead to depression and suicide.
“The victim must go through behavioural and cognitive psychological interventions. Visiting a professional psychologist is advised,” he added.
