Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Ify Obianabo, has condemned the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl by her father, describing the incident as “terrible and unfortunate.”
Speaking on Thursday in Awka, Commissioner Obianabo assured that efforts are being intensified to apprehend the suspect, following a complaint lodged by the man’s wife. “The suspect is still at large. We won’t rest on our oars until he is arrested. We will ensure that justice is served,” she stated.
The toddler’s mother reported the alleged crime to the ministry and has also informed federal authorities.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the mother, whose name is withheld, is from Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra. She has five children and appealed to Commissioner Obianabo to protect her daughter from further molestation.
The mother recounted, “My daughter complained that her dad used to touch her private part. Initially, I thought it was a child’s talk, so I rebuked her, but her repeated reports made me probe further.”
When she confronted her husband about their daughter’s complaints, he dismissed the allegations. However, upon examining her daughter, she found redness in the child’s private area. Despite confronting her husband with this evidence, he denied any wrongdoing and became furious.
The mother then took her daughter, her youngest child, to a hospital, where a doctor confirmed that the girl had been raped. “The doctor was angry and threatened to arrest my husband, but I pleaded that he should not, to save our face from shame,” she said.
News Editor