TheCable

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says its operatives have arrested a suspect for raping two minors who are siblings in Cross River.

According to NAN, Samuel Fadeyi, commandant of the NSCDC in the state, said the suspect was arrested following an alarm by neighbours.

He said the suspect allegedly drugged the minors, aged six and 11, who were hawking cow skin (ponmo) by giving them soft drinks which he had spiked.

“Luck ran out of the child rapist and when we tried to arrest him, his colleague, a suspected cultist and phone snatcher whom we had arrested earlier, tried to help him to escape,” Fadeyi said.

“The suspected cultist was arrested alongside the suspected rapist.

“The suspected rapist, however, said he did not commit the crime though he had engaged in such activities in the past. He said he was being accused on account of past incidents.

“We have taken the children to the hospital where they were confirmed to have been sexually abused,’’ Fadeyi said.

The corps also paraded a 29-year-old suspected vandal who confessed that he committed the crime and that it was his third time.

Fadeyi said the vandal was arrested in Calabar south for vandalism of electrical installations and theft of armoured cables which he sold to scrap metal dealers.

“The suspected vandal confessed to the crime and he will lead us to his patrons,” he said.

“He claimed that he vandalised the installations and stole the armoured cables to be able to feed and begged for forgiveness.”

The NSCDC commandant said the suspects would be arraigned soon.