.NAWOJ, Women Lawyers demands thorough investigation
Plateau State Police Command has arrested a Lebanese, Kfouri Sleiman, for allegedly defiling over 10 teenage girls at the Abattoir area of Giring, Jos, Plateau State.
It was gathered that two of the girls are pregnant and were taken to a police clinic for medical examination.
Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Gabriel Ubah, in a press statement, explained that the Command was investigating the alleged case of sexual molestation by the foreigner.
He said Mrs. Iboro Samuel, a resident of Abattoir, reported at the Abattoir Police Out-Station that her 14-years- old daughter was sexually molested by the Lebanese, Sleiman.
0The said Lebanese was promptly arrested and brought to the Police Station. In the course of preliminary investigation, the victim denied that she was molested by the suspect.
“As the news of the arrest of the suspect spread within the locality, seven other alleged victims of the same suspect; young girls between the ages of 12 and 16 years, came forward to testify of their encounter with the suspect on various occasions and how they were allegedly molested by him.
This led to some youths in the area taking laws into their hands and stormed the residence of the suspect and that of his neighbour, another Lebanese, Elias Karka.”
Chairperson of National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Plateau State, Mrs. Jennifer Yerima, and Deputy Chairperson of International Federation of Women Lawyers, Plateau State, Bar. Obioma Ngozi Achilehwu, staged a walk to the police headquarters, Jos to demand thorough prosecution of the suspect.
The NAWOJ and Women Lawyers Chairpersons, who led their members to the Police headquarters also requested justice on the matter and urged parents to be conscious of what their children do at all times.
Mrs. Yerima, said: “We came to the Police headquarters with International Federation of Women Lawyers in respect with a case of a Lebanese who had been taking advantage of some minors in the area.
“Our investigation shows that the man has stayed in Plateau for about 13 years and most of the young girls are familiar with him, they normally came around to wash plates and doing menial jobs to get stipends from him.
“This man takes advantage of the girls; raped them and fingered some of them. One of the girls testified that when she was washing the plate, he would come and finger her with his hand and two of the girls are pregnant at the moment.”
She noted that Sleiman, 61, who resides at B/55/12 Giring Road, Abattoir, had taken advantage of so many young girls, saying that as the voice of women, they would not allow the matter to die but would follow it to a logical conclusion.
Yerima urged the Police to prosecute the foreigner to serve as a deterrent to others who have similar intentions.
