The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a man , Mr . Olanrewaju Bakare , for allegedly brutalising a 15-year -old girl, identified only as Alaba.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim had been taken by her parents to Ibadan , Oyo State , to live with her aunt, who shortly afterwards took her to stay with Bakare and his family on Lowa Estate, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State .
Bakare was said to have promised to take care of the victim for the time he would serve his family , adding that he would send her to a vocational centre .
The suspect was alleged to have reneged on the promise .
It was learnt that on April 24, 2017, some neighbours heard the cry of the teenager and intervened .
A neighbour, who did not want to be identified , said , “ She started living with the man and his wife not quite long ; but we always heard her cry. When she started crying again this time, we intervened and asked what happened .
“ She said the man used a part of a disused tyre to flog her for eating her meal with a piece of meat after he asked her not to . She said he became angry and hit her, which made her to sustain injuries on different parts of her body . ”
The neighbour said residents alerted officials of the Office of the Public Defender in Ita Elewa, Ikorodu .
An official of the OPD , who did not want to be identified, said on receipt of the information , the agency alerted the police to join in the rescue of the victim.
He said , “ Preliminary investigation showed that the girl’ s mother took her to live with her aunt in Ibadan. She didn ’ t stay long with the aunt before she was taken to live with this couple who had two children.
“ They promised to take her to a vocational school where she would learn hairdressing , but they never did. Things turned out worse for Alaba, as she was always being abused and maltreated by Mr . Lanre ( Bakare) . She was rescued by neighbours who heard her cry on the day she was flogged with part of a disused tyre. ”
The Director of OPD , Mrs . Olubukola Salami, lauded the cooperation of members of the public in the arrest of the suspect.
She said , “ We will continue to resist child abuse and child labour in Lagos State . I appeal to residents to continue to blow the whistle on their neighbours who are violating the law . This way, the society will be better for it. ”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous -Cole , could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report .
