Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have arrested 30-year-old Shedrach Ozoemena Nwekeagu for allegedly defiling a 6-year-old school pupil.
A statement released on Thursday by the NAPTIP’s Head, Press and Public Relations Unit, Stella Nezan indicated that, the suspect, who hails from Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, is the Head Teacher in one of the private schools in the Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the spokesman, the victim’s father who reported the matter to NAPTIP, observed that his daughter complained of stomach ache and had bloodstains on her underwear when she came back from school.
“Upon enquiry, she informed her parents that the Mr. Shedrach Ozoemena Nwekeagu had inserted his finger into her vagina the previous week, and a week later, he brutally raped her in the classroom after school hours while they waited to be picked up by their parents.
“Some teachers in the school also informed NAPTIP that they had their suspicions about Mr. Shedrach Nwekeagu sexually molesting pupils in the school, but were afraid of speaking out because the suspect is a relative of the proprietress of the School, and they were afraid they would lose their jobs”, she said.
Reacting to the news of the arrest, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, condemned in strong terms, the alleged rape, and assured that the suspect will be thoroughly prosecuted under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
She cautioned school proprietors to “ensure they run a background check on the teacher they employ to teach the children, so as to avoid horrible incidents such as this”.
She added, “It is quite unfortunate that the teacher who is meant to guide and shield a pupil is the one who ends up molesting the child”.
The NAPTIP boss also encouraged members of the public to be vigilant and observe any lewd act being meted towards any child, and not to hesitate in reporting such to NAPTIP for investigations.
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