[News] Lagos police arrest daycare operator’s husband for allegedly molesting three-year-old

The police in Lagos state has arrested a man simply identified as Benjamin for allegedly sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl kept in the care of his wife who operates a daycare centre in the Ikorodu area of the state.

Punch reports that the little girl had always complained to her mother that a certain ”daddy’ was fond of touching her buttock and chest but could not mention the person’s name. The mother became more curious when she noticed that her daughter was comfortable with boys sleeping on her during playtime.

The mother, who gave her name only as Funmi, said that she lodged a complaint at the Owutu Police Division after her daughter pointed at the suspect as the person always touching her bum. Benjamin and his wife, one Florence, were then arrested.

The mother said the suspect was dumbfounded when confronted by the girl and resorted to begging, adding that his wife was later released on bail.

“My daughter had been complaining to me for some time that daddy touched her bum bum (buttock) and chest but she couldn’t mention the name of the person. I attended a wedding in Ibadan sometime in August last year and the man (Benjamin) was also there. We took a picture together. My daughter saw the picture and pointed at him that he was the one who harassed her. She also said it before the woman who was taking care of her. She will be four years old in September.”

Funmi said the caregiver used to work at her daughter’s former crèche, stating that she withdrew the girl from the facility because the new caregiver was not taking good care of her.

“There was an academic programme I enrolled for in Enugu State and I needed someone I trust to take care of her. I approached the woman (Florence) and she accepted. She would be with the woman for two weeks before I returned from Enugu. She was the one taking her to school and picking her up. She later started running a daycare.”the mother said

An activist and member of Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network, following up the case, Okla Gogo, said the group was awaiting the results of a medical test carried out on the girl.

“The suspect has been transferred to the gender unit at police headquarters in Ikeja. We want the police to carry out proper investigation into this case and ensure that justice is served,” he said

The state police command spokesperson, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, is yet to comment on this development.