The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a 48-year-old man, Emmanuel George, for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old girl (name withheld) in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Spokesperson for the command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, in a statement on Monday, stated that George committed the offence on September 6, 2025, after luring the minor while she was sent on an errand by her aunt.
According to her, the victim, who had gone to buy fried potatoes, was attacked by George, a native of Akwa Ibom but residing in Port Harcourt.
The statement read, “On the 6th of September, 2025, at about 7:30pm, operatives of the State Police Command attached to the CP Strike Force, received a distress call reporting that a 12-year-old girl who came to spend the holiday with her aunt at Mini Orlu, off Ada-George Road, Port Harcourt, had been defiled.”
“The suspect dragged the victim into a stationary tricycle, popularly called Keke Napep, tied her hands, covered her mouth to prevent her from raising an alarm, and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her before fleeing the scene.”
Iringe-Koko stated that the girl was later taken to the police hospital in Port Harcourt for treatment, while the suspect was arrested the same day, around 10pm.
She further disclosed that recovered exhibits during the arrest included a bundle of rope, a tricycle, and a wrap of fufu, adding that the suspect confessed to the crime during interrogation.
The state Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, in the statement vowed that “perpetrators of crime in Rivers State will face the full wrath of the law.” He also urged parents and guardians to monitor their wards closely.
The incident has once again spotlighted the rising cases of child sexual violence across the country.
PUNCH Metro in May reported that the National Human Rights Commission documented 86,633 child rights violations across Nigeria between January 2024 and January 2025, which included cases of sexual abuse.
Another report in June 2025 has Civil society groups repeatedly raising alarm over high rates in rape and defilement cases, stressing that perpetrators believe children are easy targets due to their vulnerability, silence, or inability to defend themselves or speak up.
However, the increase in reported cases, especially involving minors, may also reflect growing awareness, improved public education, and the gradual breakdown of the culture of silence.
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