by Rachel Ogbu

“When I entered the room to carry my daughter, I saw that blood was coming out of her private part and she could hardly walk,” the heart-broken father of a seven-year-old girl raped in Calabar, Cross River state has said.

The culprit is said to be a 35-year-old man, identified as Bassey Ekpo-Efiok, has been arrested by the Cross River State Police Command

“I immediately reported the matter to the police that took her to the Nigeria Police Medical Centre at Akim,” Patrick Eyo-Ita, said adding that the crime against his daughter happened around 10pm on June 17 at Effanga Offiong Street in the Edibe-Edibe area of Calabar South.

According to reports, Eyo-Ita said that the suspected rapist who is the son of a former Post-Master General of the Nigeria Postal Service defiled his daughter shortly after he strolled out of his compound while the daughter was asleep.

“This thing happened between 9.30pm and 10pm. My house was very hot, so, I lay my daughter by the veranda of my apartment. After doing that, I strolled out briefly within the neighbourhood. Unfortunately when I came back about 10pm I did not see my daughter where I lay her but saw the wrapper on which she was lain. I was worried and decided to search for her,” Eyo-Ita said.

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The Punch report:

He said while he was searching for the daughter, he heard her scream from the suspect’s apartment.

“The voice sounded like that of my daughter and I decided to peep into the room where the screaming was coming from. I saw Bassey naked and was on the top of my little daughter. I immediately raised the alarm and within seconds, my neighbours had gathered,” he said.

He said the neighbours made effort to apprehend the suspect but he escaped through a back door.

He said the suspect was eventually arrested on July 1 by policemen from Akim Police Station.

When PUNCH Metro visited the area command on Tuesday, the suspect was writing his statement.

A child rights activist, who facilitated the arrest, Mr. James Ibor, said the action of the suspect was criminal as he had jeopardised the life of the little girl.

When contacted, the acting Public Relations Officer in charge of the state Command, Mr. Hogan Bassey, promised to get the details and call back.