Police officer
A suspected rape case in Rivers State has taken a dramatic turn after a male suspect identified simply as Goodnews reportedly escaped from police custody while investigators visited the alleged crime scene in Rupokwu Community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The suspect was arrested last week by operatives of the Special Area Division in Rumudomaya over the alleged defilement of a 16-year-old girl and was later transferred to the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Port Harcourt, for further investigation.
According to the father of the victim, Mr. Prince, the suspect escaped during an investigative visit to the compound where the alleged incident occurred. He explained that the suspect, who was reportedly not handcuffed at the time, was taken upstairs to his apartment as part of the police investigation.
Prince said the suspect had difficulty opening the padlock to his room, prompting him to suggest that a hammer be used to break the lock. He stated that he briefly left the scene to retrieve a hammer from his apartment downstairs.
However, on returning, he allegedly met the investigating police officer coming downstairs and was informed that the suspect had escaped.
Speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, Prince expressed shock over the development, saying the officer could not clearly explain how the suspect fled custody.
The incident has sparked outrage among legal and child rights advocates, with many questioning the circumstances surrounding the escape and the level of police supervision provided during the investigation.
A legal practitioner and Executive Director of Lawyers Watch Justice International Initiative, Mr. Gbenga Oladapo, condemned the development, describing it as unacceptable and a serious setback to justice.
He said the police owe the victim, her family and the public a duty to immediately launch a manhunt and ensure the suspect is rearrested without delay.
Oladapo further warned that failure to recapture the suspect could undermine public confidence in law enforcement and weaken the fight against sexual violence and abuse involving minors.
Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command, Superintendent Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed that the suspect escaped while in police custody.
She disclosed that one of the officers involved in the investigation is already being queried over the incident, adding that the command has ordered an immediate manhunt for the fleeing suspect.
The police assured residents that efforts are ongoing to rearrest the suspect and bring him back to face prosecution.
