HIV-racked 70-year-old man arrested for raping 5-year-old toddler

By Ajuma Edwina Ameh

A 70-year-old man has been apprehended by the police for serially raping a five-year-old girl in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State.

The suspect identified as Pa Nicholas Akeh, who is said to be a close family relative of the victim’s father, has been living with HIV for over 20 years.

Pa Akeh who confessed to being on anti-retroviral drugs for over 20 years, confessed that he had been sleeping with younger girls to satisfy his sexual urge since his wife left.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the command, DSP Catherine Anene, said the suspect was already in police custody while investigation is progressing.

Meanwhile, Persecondnews gathered that the victims mother wants the case closed over fear of “incurring the wrath of relatives”, as the suspect is related to her husband, who is blind.

Giving an update on the incident, a Benue activist, Ukan Kurugh, said: “The offender has a close relationship with the victims family and is also a neighbor.

“Currently as we speak, the family of the offender are on deck at the Police division to bail him.

“The mother of the child wants the case closed due to the fact that the man and the child’s father (a blind man), are from the same village and she wouldn’t want to incur the wrath from the village people on her children.”