The Cross River Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old security guard over alleged sexual assault of a five-year-old pupil of a nursery and primary school in Calabar.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Calabar, saying the school proprietress reported the incident to the command on Sept. 28.
Eitokpah said the suspect was caught taking the pupil to an uncompleted building near the school, where the alleged assault reportedly occurred.
According to him, the suspect is currently in police custody while preliminary investigations are ongoing.
He added that the suspect would subsequently be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
The PPRO said the command was treating the matter with the seriousness it deserved, considering the age of the alleged victim and the need to protect children from abuse and exploitation.
He assured that appropriate investigative and child-protection procedures would be followed in accordance with the law, adding that the command would ensure a thorough investigation into the matter.
Eitokpah urged parents, guardians, school authorities and members of the public to promptly report suspected cases of child abuse or exploitation to the police for appropriate intervention.
He also cautioned members of the public against sharing the identity, photographs or other identifying information of the child, stressing the need to protect her privacy and welfare. (NAN)
