Two brothers in their early 20s have been accused of abducting and raping a 14-year-old girl in the Erima community of the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State on Saturday.
It was gathered that the girl was on her way to her uncle’s house when one of the suspects, identified as Honest, and his brother, Okwukwe, seized her.
A local source, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that after several hours of the girl’s absence, her mother went to her brother’s house only to discover she had not arrived there.
The concerned mother then raised an alarm in the community, which led to the involvement of local vigilantes.
Onuigba Chinonye, the second-in-command of the ONELGA Security Planning and Advisory Committee, was on patrol when he encountered the distressed mother.
After receiving details about the girl’s whereabouts, the vigilantes conducted a search and located the girl being assaulted by the two brothers in an isolated area near a bush.
Chinonye reported that the elder brother resisted arrest, leading to a struggle. While the elder brother was later detained, the younger one fled.
The detained suspect was handed over to the Egi Police Division Headquarters in Obite, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA.
The State Police Command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the incident and noted that an investigation is ongoing.
She added that the suspect in custody will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) and that efforts are underway to capture the fleeing brother.
The Commissioner of Police had directed the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the area to ensure the arrest of the remaining suspect.