Had it being she knew the danger ahead of her lovely daughter, a Nigerian mother popularly called Mama Zainab would not have sent her 12-year-old daughter, Zainab Justina Adeyemo to a neighbouring village, Eshe-Akoko in Akoko North west Local Government Area, Okeagba on Friday, July 17 in Ondo state.
WITHIN NIGERIA learnt that the 12-year-old daughter, Zainab is a senior prefect at Saint Augustine Nursery and Primary School in her village, Iru-akoko.
According to report, Zainab left their house around 2pm and took a motorbike to make it easier and quicker for her but sadly, she could not make it back to the house alive.
After waiting endlessly for her daughter return, the fearful mother moved down to the village where her daughter was sent only to be told that she had long gone back after delivering the message.
The desperate mother in search of her daughter went back to Eshe where she sent her and was told that her daughter joined a popular commercial motorcyclist called Dare while returning home. She was directed to Dare’s house where, to her chagrin, Dare denied seeing her.
Infuriated commercial motorcyclists and others attempted lynching Dare, their colleague but later ended up dragging the suspect to the nearest police station where he admitted that he truly carried the girl with his motorbike and that he dropped her at Iru motor Park.
According to report, the suspect, Dare was compelled to show them where he dropped her, which he did. He was then taken to the nearest police station.
While narrating the tragic incident to newsmen, Mama Zainab who was in controllable tears said: “On getting to the police station, now visibly frightened Dare pleaded that he should be treated gently assuring that the missing girl would eventually be seen.
The suspect, Dare disclosed that both him and the Zainab had an accident and the girl was seriously wounded while they were on their way from Eshe to Irun.
The mother of the deceased, 12-year-old girl identified as Zainab further narrated that “Initially, we told the police to carry out immediate investigation into his claims but they were insisting that we must wait for the stipulated 24 hours before taking any action.
“This infuriated villagers and they went out in search of Zainab without the police. Luckily, after about five hours’ thorough search, the corpse of Zainab was discovered along a footpath in the bush. The police was informed and they later picked it.”
“The delay by the police forced both commercial motorcyclists in the area and villagers to stage a protest demanding that Dare must be brought out to say what happened to the little girl.
“The protest made the police to accost Dare who started narrating how he raped and later killed the little girl. He told gory tales of how he was raping her inside the bush while they were on their way only to discover that she was dead.
“He claimed that Zainab died as result of the struggle that ensued between them during the process and he dumped her body in the bush.”
The suspect, Dare also revealed that he raped her multiple times and added that he is married and his wife is 6 months pregnant.
After his confession, the protesting crowd nearly set the police station ablaze by insisting that Dare must be handed over to them to be killed as disclosed by police sources.
Moves to set ablaze the station were curtailed by the police and the suspect was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department in Akure where more investigations will be carried out over the case.
