A human rights organisation, Ta’awunu Human Rights Initiative (THURIST), has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police and the Oyo State Commissioner of Police over the alleged rape and sexual abuse of a five-year-old girl (name withheld) by one Bayo, said to be the son of a serving police officer.
In a press release on Tuesday signed by its Director General, S.A. Tadese Esq., a copy obtained from the group’s official Facebook page, THURIST, said the incident was reportedly being handled at the Area Command, Durbar, Oyo State, but alleged there were attempts to bury the matter through a private settlement because of the suspect’s link to the police.
The group noted that an allegation involving a five-year-old cannot be reduced to a family negotiation or financial settlement.
“The fact that the suspect is reportedly the son of a serving police officer must not confer upon him any immunity from investigation or prosecution,” the group said.
The organisation demanded an independent, thorough and transparent investigation, immediate protection for the child and his family, preservation of all evidence including medical and forensic reports, and prosecution of the suspect if sufficient evidence is found.
It also called on the Police Service Commission to investigate any police officer found to have attempted to suppress the complaint, intimidate the victim’s family or interfere with the investigation.
While emphasising that the suspect remains innocent until proven guilty by a competent court, the group insisted that no one should be above the law and that the best interest of the child must be at the centre of the process.
“Bayo, if found culpable following a lawful investigation and trial, must face the consequences prescribed by law,” the petition added.
