A 78-year-old grandfather identified simply as
Jonah, has been arrested by policemen from the Oke-Odo Police Station,
Lagos, for allegedly raping a two-year-old daughter of his tenant.
According to police reports, the little girl, when asked who caused pains in her private part, pointed to the landlord despite his vehement denials.
"The
little girl had pointed to the man’s living room and replied, ‘Daddy,’
when she was asked who touched her private part and caused her pains.
Incidentally, Jonah is the only person called ‘Daddy’ in the compound."
But
the septuagenarian has insisted that the little girl could not have
said 'Daddy' violated her, claiming that the girl’s family members were
attempting to frame him up because he had been having problems with them
over the payment of PHCN bills.
He said:
"I
did not set my eyes on that girl on that Friday. I was not at home. I
left home very early in the morning. Since I had stroke, I had never had
sex. The girl cannot talk. She had never called me Daddy.
The
girl’s mother is lying. The little girl did not say I did it. I did not
even know what happened until police came to pick me. I worship God
every day. It is not in my character to do such. I have my own kids."
Events
leading to Pa Jonah's arrest, according to the reports, began on
Friday, April 3rd, when the girl’s aunt named Blessing, was bathing her,
and she noticed that the child repeatedly winced in pain when her
private was being washed.
Examination of the
girl’s private part showed traces of blood. When the girl was asked what
happened to her, she pointed to the man’s living room and said 'Daddy'.
The girl’s mother, Christiana, and Blessing
rushed her to a private hospital, where it was confirmed that finger had
been inserted into her private part.
Police
investigators, however, refused to recognise the test conducted at the
private hospital, insisting that the girl should be taken to the Lagos
State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), for proper medical
examination.
