Oyo State Police Command has arrested a 19-year-old man identified as Bayo, the son of a serving police officer, over the alleged rape of a five-year-old girl in Oyo town.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed the arrest, saying the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

“The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for investigation,” he said.

The victim’s father, Afeez Tiamiyu, alleged that the suspect sexually assaulted his daughter while she was on her way to buy a recharge card.

Tiamiyu said he was at work when his wife called to inform him of the incident, prompting him to rush home.

“I was at work when my wife called to tell me that my daughter had been raped by one Bayo, who lives in our area.

“I quickly rushed home to know what was happening, and on getting home, we found traces of semen and bruises on the girl’s body. We asked her if she could identify who did that to her, and she said yes.

“We took her to the scene, and on our way, she identified the boy, after which he was arrested and taken to the Police Area Command, Durbar, Oyo,” he narrated.

The victim’s family, however, alleged that some police officers attempted to persuade them to abandon the case after they discovered that the suspect’s father was a serving police officer in Ibadan.

Tiamiyu said the family refused to withdraw the complaint, insisting that the allegation should be investigated.

“Upon getting to the police station, we found out that the suspect’s father is also a police officer.

“Due to this, we noticed some of the police officers on duty that day were trying to persuade us not to pursue the case, but we insisted because no one is above the law.

“Immediately we noticed what they were planning, we involved human rights groups, and they promised to take up the matter,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Taawunu Human Rights Initiative has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, calling for an independent investigation into the alleged rape.

In the petition dated October 6, 2026, and signed by the organisation’s Director-General, Sulaimon Tadese, the group demanded the investigation and prosecution of any police officer found to have attempted to compromise the case.

The organisation also called for justice for the five-year-old victim. (LEADERSHIP, excluding headline)