ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Nigeria Police Force in Enugu State says 39 suspects have been arrested for rape and defilement cases within the past one year.
The Commissioner of Police, Mammon Bitrus Giwa, disclosed this during a press briefing marking his one year in office.
According to him, the command remains committed to protecting vulnerable persons and ensuring offenders are prosecuted.
Giwa cited a recent case involving 18-year-old Chinedu Nkasiobi, who was arrested on March 6, 2026.
The suspect allegedly broke into a woman’s house through the ceiling in Alulu-Nike area of Enugu and threatened her with a knife before raping her while she slept.
Police said the case will proceed to court once investigations are completed.
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In another case, police arrested Ikenna Ekesi, 30, following a complaint from the Enugu State Ministry of Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development.
The suspect allegedly defiled and impregnated his 12-year-old ward in Mmaku community in Awgu Local Government Area.
Police said the girl, now 13, had been living with the suspect while helping to care for his six-year-old child.
Investigators said he later returned the girl to her parents claiming she was stubborn after she became pregnant.
Police also arrested Eugene Obinna Ikeche, 45, in connection with a case of incest.
The suspect initially reported his 17-year-old daughter missing, but after she was found, she told police she had run away because her father had been sexually abusing her.
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She further alleged that he later began defiling her 12-year-old younger sister.
Police said the suspect confessed during interrogation but blamed his actions on the devil.
Giwa said all suspects arrested in rape and defilement cases will be prosecuted in court once investigations are completed.
He stressed that the command would continue to protect women and children while encouraging residents to report sexual offences promptly.