The Nigerian Police in Yobe State, on Saturday, announced that the number of rape cases in the state has hit an alarming high.
The state police command made this known in a statement released by its Public Relations Officer, Dungus Abdulkareem.
Dungus Abdulkareem noted that, in December 2020, the number of rape cases in the state moved up a notch.
“In the command’s efforts to curb crime and criminality in the state, it has been observed that rape cases recorded a slight increase. In the last month of year 2020, the command recorded more than nine cases of rape in different Divisional Police headquarters across the state,’’ the statement partly read.
The statement revealed that, on December 26, 2020, operatives of the Geidam Divisional Police headquarters arrested a certain Bako Umaru, a 35-year-old man from Hausari ward, who lured an 11-year-old girl before molesting and raping her.
A report from a medical facility in Damaturu showed that the victims suffered severe injuries and lost over three pints of blood.
Read also: Most Wanted Nigerian Cyber Crime Kingpin Arrested By Kenyan Police
“The case is currently under discreet investigation at the state CIID for subsequent prosecution. Similarly, on December 25, 2020, at about 1100hrs detectives from Yindiski Divisional Police headquarters apprehended one 25-year-old Musa Mohammed, 27-year-old Mohammed Dahiru and one 46-year-old Adamu Saidu all from Potiskum council area for raping a 13-year-old girl.
“In another development, on November 26, 2020 at about 1300hrs, one 27-year-old Mohammed Jagere was apprehended by Gashua Divisional Police headquarters for intruding into a house with the intent to rob the inhabitants but rather, the culprit raped a nursing mother recuperating from childbirth,” the statement read.
Abdulkareem assured that, though rape cases in the state appeared to be taking a dangerously rising twist, the police command was doing everything possible to combat the heinous crime.
The Nigerian Police had earlier reported that 717 rape cases occurred in Nigeria between January and May, 2020.