For allegedly raping a nine-year-old daughter of his tenant, Mr Paul Okhiria, 49, a budding gospel musician has been nabbed by the police at the university town of Ekpoma, Esan West local government area of Edo state.

The suspect who however denied defiling the minor when he was paraded by the police in Benin yesterday, allegedly committed the offence at 9, Isidahomen Street.

He said: “I didn’t defile anybody. I am a musician, I sing gospel music. My senior brother inherited the house from our father, but he lives in Lagos, so, I am the one in charge.”

According to him, the mother and her four little daughters live in his house which doubles as a church, adding that some time ago, the woman came to tell him that the church could no longer afford to pay the rent.

He charged that the woman did not want to pay the rent but instead chose to seduce him but he refused, only for her to openly tell him shortly after that she suspects that he likes her, but he retorted that she is not the one to tell him that he likes her.

He continued: “The children also used to come into my room, doing all sorts of nonsense and I will chase than away. I reported to the woman, but she would reply that the children are playing with me, but I told her that I don’t like that kind of play because I am a Christian.

“The nine year-old-girl sometimes comes into my bedroom while sleeping, she will be touching my legs. The mother also comes into my bedroom.

“It got to a stage that whenever I am applying body cream after bathing, this woman will come into my sitting room, see my nakedness, instead of going away, she will stay.

“One day, she just came to me and said that her nine-year-old daughter said I was sleeping with her. I was shocked. I feel so bad seeing myself in this mess. I did not defile her, it is a lie.”

Also paraded for the defilement of a six-year-old Success Imen, daughter of his neighbour, was Endurance Okon.

He was arrested at Okada, Ovia north-east local government area.

He, however, denied having canal knowledge of the minor, saying that he only inserted his finger into her sex organ.

He vehemently denied: “I did not sleep with her, my mind did not just go that one. There are many people in my house. When she came into my room, she did not sit down, I only put my finger.”

Twenty-nine-year-old Shaibu Nurudeen, was also arrested for allegedly defiling 12 year old Mariam Mohammed.

Nurudeen who was arrested at Agbede, Etsako West local govergnment area of the state, denied committing the offence.

He said: “The girl used to live in our house about two years before, but later relocated to Benin. Two years after, they came to tell me that the girl has an infection, and that I was the one who had sex with her. I told them I did not have sex with her, she lied against me.”

•Sourced from a Tribune report

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