A seminarian of the Anglican Church in Anambra State, Chukwudi Okoye, has been accused of raping a 10-year-old girl in the state.
Okoye, 34, allegedly took advantage of the little girl in Amanuke, a community in Awka North local government area of the state.
This was announced on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, in a statement by Chidimma Ikeanyionwu spokesperson to the State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo.
Ms Ikeanyionwu said the suspect had carnal knowledge of the in July but the incident was reported to Mrs Obinabo in August.
She said the commissioner had enlisted the help of security officials through her ministry to arrest the suspect.
The commissioner’s Facebook page featured a video clip showing the suspect speaking on the incident.
Mr Okoye, who hails from Enugu Agidi in Njikoka Council Area of the state, initially claims in the clip that he only “fingered’ the girl.
While narrating how it happened, he said he asked the survivor and her friend to wash some plates when they visited him in his Amanuke residence.
He claimed that the girl later went to lie on his bed after her mate had left. He said he then removed her clothes and “fingered” her.
When told that the survivor said he raped her, he said in Igbo language that he only fingered her and only put his manhood between her thighs because she was too small to accommodate him.
The suspect asked for forgiveness, blaming the incident on the devil.
The survivor had told the commissioner that the suspect called her and her friend to wash plates for him and when they were done, discharged her friend and asked her to stay behind to play with him.
She said the suspect later took her to his bed where he removed her clothes and raped her.
She said she could not initially tell anyone of the incident because the suspect threatened her.
According to Ms Ikeanyionwu, the survivor’s grandmother became aware of the incident after the granddaughter got seriously sick about one week later and opened up to her about the incident.
The grandmother then took the child to Okoye’s house to confront him.
The suspect has since been handed over to the police for further investigation.
