By Ade Olu
A sixty-five year old man, Chuks Emele, is now in police net for defiling an eight year old boy at Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The arrest on Thursday last week, followed a letter by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the State, submitted to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Umunze, on the complaint received from the mother of the victim.
The Commission in the letter, signed its Coordinator, Mrs Nkechi Ugwuanyi, which was made available to The Union Nigeria, argued that the act violates section 3 sub-sections 1, 2 and 3 of the State Violence Against Persons Prohibition, (VAPP), Law 2017.
Mrs Ugwuanyi later spoke with the reporter in an interview. “Such act is against the law. Defiling a minor of eight years is a criminal offence. The boy as we learnt had been sick since the incident.
“The community stakeholders stepped in but he did not cooperate with them. That’s how the case got to the Commission”.
Mrs Ugwuanyi said the interest of the commission is to ensure that the boy is properly treated for all medical complications he had suffered and that justice is seen to have been done.
“We made effort to relocate the victim to Ntasi Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Enugwu-Ukwu for proper treatment free of charge but the family did not agree.
“We are calling on relevant bodies to come to the aid of the poor boy. However, they should protect his identity in all interventions to avoid worsening the psychological effects of the incident on him”
“I appreciate the Police Public Relations Officer, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Umunze and Safenest Foundation, an NGO, for their various roles leading to the arrest of violator. We pray the Police will follow up until justice is done”, Mrs Ugwuanyi pleaded.
In a telephone interview, the mother of the victim, Mrs Ogechi Arinze, recounted the ordeal of her son since the unfortunate incident occurred and appealed for the law to take its course since the violator had refused to do the needful despite the community interventions.
“After the incident, my son had protruded anus. He lost a lot of blood had gone through blood infusion. He is still in the hospital because he runs high temperature. All I want is justice for my son”.
The medical doctor, who is treating the victim, confirmed that there was penetration into the anus of the boy, who has been taken through HIV test among other examinations.
The suspect, Chuks Emele, a father of two, agreed to the act, but attributed it to the devil.
“I don’t know what came over me that day. It is up to three months now. He came to do farm work for me. So, when he entered my room to collect his wage, I grabbed him and slept with him.
“There was no blood as the mother claimed. I regret doing that to the small boy. It was the devil”.
“The blood sample of the suspect was also collected to ascertain if he has any transmittable disease that is likely responsible for the long admission of the victim.
When reached on the phone to confirm the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was in a meeting and requested that a message be sent.
