The family whose 14-year-old- daughter was allegedly molested and defiled by a man, Chigozie Abana, has raised an alarm over the detention of their breadwinner, Chidi Arimnuta, supposedly on the orders of the suspect.
The 14-year-old girl had accused her guardian, Abana, that between June and July 2023, he had raped her several times in his residence, Owerri, while his wife was pregnant.
Also, she claimed that the suspect flogged her with a belt at night whenever she refused his advances.
According to the girl, the suspect limited her communication with her family while he committed the act and she eventually ran away from his house when her parents came to visit her in school after they could no longer reach her.
Corresponding to the report, Arimnuta, the father of the victim said the suspect boasted of his political connections, claiming thst nothing would happen to him.
Arimnuta was arrested and detained on September 20 for allegedly having the nerves to report to the media about the allegations raised by his teenage daughter.
It was said that, after Abana accused Arimnuta of speaking with the press, Arimnuta ended up spending a night in detention though he was afterwards, bailed the next day by a human right activist.
“The families made arrangements to see him and discuss the allegations raised by our daughter on Sunday but he suddenly called to say he would not be around on Sunday and that we should leave it till Monday.
“On Monday, he called again that he was not around and that we should leave it for Wednesday. That Wednesday, when we got to the place he invited us, we laid down our complaint, and then he started beating around the bush and was making calls in between the meeting.
“All of a sudden, policemen came to where we were sitting and he pointed at me, saying that I was the one who published the story. That was how I was arrested that day,” Arimnuta said.
Also, the family of the victim had stated that the suspect, Abana, was angry that a report on his alleged defilement of the teenager was published and not the allegation itself.
When contacted, Henry Okoye, the state Police Public Relations Officer said he was not aware of the case but expressed that the father of the victim put a call across to him so that necessary actions could be taken.
