The Cross River State Police Command has arrested one suspect and launched a manhunt for others following the alleged sexual assault and unlawful confinement of a 15-year-old girl in Calabar.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Eitokpah said the incident was reported at the Ikpa Omin Police Division on Tuesday, September 8, after the girl was allegedly taken against her will to a residence in the 8 Miles area of Calabar.
According to the police, the incident occurred on September 4, when the girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by two suspects and prevented from leaving the residence for about three days.
Following the report, police operatives arrested one Felix Solomon.
The command said Solomon was assisting investigators with relevant information as efforts continued to identify and apprehend other persons allegedly connected with the incident.
The police said appropriate investigative and child-protection procedures had been activated to safeguard the survivor’s privacy, dignity and welfare.
The command declined to disclose the girl’s identity and other identifying details, citing the need to protect her from further trauma and stigmatisation.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Ordue, directed that the investigation be conducted professionally and in accordance with the law.
Ordue assured that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted and face the full consequences of the law upon conviction.
The commissioner also condemned sexual violence against children and urged parents, guardians and members of the public to report suspected cases promptly to the police or appropriate child-protection authorities.
The command cautioned against “trial by media”, stressing that all suspects remained presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The police investigation is ongoing, with officers working to establish the full circumstances of the alleged assault and locate the other persons suspected to have been involved.
