The Edo State Police Command on Thursday paraded 32 suspected criminals, including a man who claimed to be a pastor of a pentecostal church in Orhiomwon Local Government, Fidelis Eze, who confessed to defiling two underage girls.
Eze, who said he defiled the two 11- year-old girls the same day, claimed that he had been forgiven of the offence by one of his victim’s father.
Edo State Police Commissioner, Foluso Balogun, lamented the rising cases of defilement of minors in the state and called on members of the public to assist the command with useful information in its fight against “criminal elements.”
He said, “We have about 32 suspects that we are parading, including kidnappers and those involved in defilement of girl-child; this is something that is very disturbing.
“This (pointing at Eze) is a pastor. He defiled two young girls; it is very nauseating.”
According to Eze, the act was committed in 2012.
He said, “It was sometime last year which was when the two girls (Joy and Anthonia) came to my house. It was Joy that brought Anthonia to my house. It was the same day that I had sex with them and they agreed.
“The father of Joy got to know and he called me and I pleaded for forgiveness and since then I have not seen them again, they even packed out of our vicinity. It was this year (July14) that the father came with policemen to arrest me.”
Also paraded for defiling an underage, was a 42-year-old security guard, Segun Otaru, who confessed to having sex with the daughter of his employee. He added that the act was consensual.
He said, “The incident took place on June 6, 2013. The girl had told the mother that she wanted to go to the toilet. After few minutes, the mother came looking for her, that was how she met us. The girl consented, I didn’t force her.”
Also paraded by the police were some suspected kidnappers, and alleged criminals that specialised in using commercial buses to rob passengers.