Blessing Augustine, who hails from Kogi State but resides in Lugbe Zone
4, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, has been accused of defiling
the one-year-old daughter of his neighbour.
Recounting how the deeds of the suspect were uncovered, Nnamdi Chukwu, father of the baby told Sunday Sun:
“The
ugly incident happened on June 13, 2015, when I heard my baby crying. I
asked my wife to find out why the baby was crying. She said that
Augustine told her that the little child saw a chicken and was
frightened. But somehow the baby could not stop crying, which obviously
meant that she was in pain. So, I checked her thoroughly and saw little
blood in her private part (genital).
Prior
to this time, there was a day my wife was preparing for a birthday
party and had gone into the bathroom to bathe. Augustine came quietly to
our room and carried the baby without her knowledge. When she heard the
baby crying, she asked Augustine, who responded that he was playing
with the baby, so we didn’t suspect anything.
But
on that June 13, when the baby continued to cry in pain, after
Augustine claimed that the baby saw a chicken, I took her to Gwarimpa
General Hospital, where a doctor examined her and confirmed that she
was defiled.
I immediately
reported the matter at Lugbe Police Station and Augustine was arrested.
We have lived in the same compound with him for about one year. I want
justice to be done.”
The suspect, who spoke with Sunday Sun
in police custody, admitted that he had on several occasions taken the
baby to his room to “play” with her, concurring with the account of the
baby’s parent about the chicken story, but he denied the allegation made
against him. His words:
“I do play with
the little baby. One day, she suddenly started crying and the mother
asked me and I told her that the baby saw a chicken in the compound. I
do always carry the baby from the room to the kitchen and play with her.
I am the only person that always play with her. I do carry the baby
sometimes without the knowledge of the mother to my room and play with
her.
But I don’t know what they
are saying that I raped the little baby. I don’t know who manipulated
(defiled) the baby and raped her.”
Meanwhile, the
Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr Wilson Inalegwu who confirmed
the story assured that the suspect would be charged to court after the
completion of investigations into the matter.