George Onyejiuwa, Owerri

Hundreds of women from Avu community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, on Monday protested the alleged rape of an eight-year-old girl by a man simply identified as Samuel.

According to Avu women association led by one Mrs Ngozi Amadi, the act perpetrated by Samuel was an abominable one which would not be taken lightly. They vowed to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion by ensuring that justice is done.

The women who were seeking justice for the victim, called on the state government and human rights organisations to compel the suspect to pay for his irresponsible behaviour.

The irate women matched to the suspect’s family home, insisting that he must pay a hefty fine of N100,000 according to the tradition of the land.

But it was gathered that the alleged rapist fled to an unknown destination with his wife and children when he got wind of the protesting women coming to besiege his home.

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The women faulted the suspect’s wife for supporting the husband’s abominable act.

The former president of the association, Mrs Beatrice Ahunpeme, who also took part in the protest, said the alleged rapist had not only brought shame to his entire lineage but had desecrated Avu community by the evil done to the poor girl.

She said instead of the suspect to be remorseful having confessed to the crime at the police station had allegedly paid the sum of N500,000 to an undisclosed party to close the matter, he continued to threaten the women for exposing his deed.

They called on law-enforcement agencies, traditional leaders and government to ensure that the suspect who is now at large be arrested, prosecuted and compelled to perform the traditional cleansing of the land because of the abomination he had committed.

The women said that the suspect and his family should be held responsible should any harm befall any of their members.