A five-year-old girl, Mariya Suleiman has been allegedly raped by a 38-year-old shoe shiner at Unguwar Hardo area of the Bauchi State capital.

According to Tribune Online, the suspect identified as Saleh Hassan has since been arrested by policemen.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Bauchi State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Wakili said that the complaint was made at the Township Police Division, adding that officers promptly arrested the suspect who is now in Police detention pending the completion of the investigation and possible prosecution.

Executive Director of Prison Inmate Development Initiative (PIDI-Nigeria), a human rights group, Cate Iya Rize in a press release issued on Tuesday in Bauchi lamented the raising case of rape across the country.

Cate Rize said:

“It is now a saddening case of Mariya Suleiman (Ummi) who was drugged and raped by one Saleh Hassan (Shoe Shiner) in Paparanda Unguwan Hardo.

“Saleh Hassan is a 38-year-old, single and he is also the Chairman of Peace and Security Committee (YAN Committee) in Paparanda Unguwan Hardo in Bauchi State. The suspect also lives in the same street with the parents of the victim, Mariya Suleiman.

“The case was reported to the Paralegal Unit of PIDI-Nigeria on Saturday and the monitoring and investigation unit of the organisation went for the investigation. On getting there, we met with the mother of Mariya, Mrs. Sureya Abubakar and her father Malam Suleiman Idris.

“Findings by PIDI revealed that Mrs Sureya had on the 16th day of July 2020, sent the victim (Mariya) to go and buy spaghetti at about 7:00 am but didn’t return on time.”

Cate Rize further narrated that the mother of the victim noticed that Mariya was limping when she returned home and it was then the mother learnt she had been defiled.

The statement further contained that:

“On persistent inquiry, the victim alleged that she was raped by one, uncle Saleh, saying that ‘when she got the spaghetti, on her way coming home, he called her and asked to take one medicine. She said it was after she took the medicine that she slept off, so when she woke up, she said he showed her a knife and said if she tells anybody, she will be killed.”

The statement also stated that when the victim was taken to a gynaecologist at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital in Bauchi where several tests on her revealed a forceful penetration in her private part.

PIDI-Nigeria regretted that the minor has been rendered helpless and hopeless, calling on the Police to immediately prosecute the suspected rapist.