The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a couple accused of raping and assaulting a 13-year-old girl at their home in Port Harcourt.
SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the command’s spokesperson, shared details of the incident during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday. Reports indicate that the wife allegedly stripped the teenager and inserted pepper into her private parts after accusing her of having an affair with her husband.
Iringe-Koko stated that the suspects have been taken into custody and transferred to the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for further investigation and potential prosecution.
Goodness, the mother of the victim, whose full name has not been disclosed, recounted the harrowing experience to NAN. A resident of Rupokwu town in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, she explained that the assault occurred on the evening of December 29, 2024. Upon receiving alerts from neighbors about her daughter’s plight, she rushed home from her shop.
“By the time I arrived, neighbors had already intervened and rescued my daughter from the wife’s attack. She was still in pain from both the beating and the pepper applied to her body and private area,” Goodness said.
After recovering somewhat, her daughter revealed that a female neighbor, a friend of the wife, had taken her to their house on December 25, 2024. During this visit, while his wife and friend were away running errands, the man allegedly assaulted and raped the girl multiple times, threatening her to keep silent about it.
“After he raped her, he ordered my daughter to leave his house. She returned home but didn’t disclose what happened, likely due to his threats,” Goodness added.
On December 29, 2024, Goodness reported that the wife summoned her daughter to assist with chores at their apartment. It was there that she accused the girl of sleeping with her husband, leading to a brutal assault where she stripped her naked, poured pepper on her, and inflicted severe beatings with a machete while neighbors recorded the incident.
The distraught mother is now demanding justice for her traumatized daughter. As reported by NAN, both suspects spent New Year’s Day in custody while their two young children have been placed in the care of relatives.
Prince Wiro, National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, condemned the alleged abuse as inhumane and barbaric. “We have spoken with the teenager and seen the bruises and wounds on her body. We call for a thorough police investigation. The man must be held accountable for these allegations, and anyone else involved should face prosecution,” Wiro stated.
