The Edo State Police Command has paraded a 42-year-old man, identified as Oji Okoro, for allegedly assaulting a 12-year-old boy sexually.
Okoro was among 16 suspects paraded by the command in Benin for alleged offences ranging from kidnapping, vandalism, unlawful possession of firearms and others.
Parading the suspects, the command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, said Okoro was arrested over an alleged “unnatural offence” involving the minor.
Also paraded were 26-year-old Donatus Martins and his accomplice, who were arrested for allegedly vandalising cables and other equipment belonging to Africa Independent Television (AIT), Benin office.
Ikoedem said the suspects had allegedly vandalised equipment worth more than N4 million from the premises since the television station stopped operations.
Martins, however, admitted participating in the vandalism, saying he turned to stealing and selling metal items whenever he could not find work as a bricklayer.
He said the suspects carried out three operations, during which they stole DVDs and copper cables and sold them to buyers.
According to him, the first operation fetched N75,000, while N5,000 was paid to a commercial motorcyclist who assisted them.
He said the second operation yielded N90,000, but the buyer paid them N70,000, leaving N20,000 outstanding.
“We were caught during the third operation,” Martins said.
Another suspect, Chigozie Anthony, was paraded for allegedly luring a girl he met on TikTok to his residence, allegedly holding her there and demanding N500,000 from her parents.
The police said the ransom was paid before Anthony was arrested.
Anthony, however, denied kidnapping the girl, claiming that she was his girlfriend and that they jointly planned the incident to obtain money from her parents.
He said the girl, who was undergoing nursing training, had told him she needed money to start a business after completing her training.
Anthony claimed that she suggested that he hide her so that her family would pay money for her release.
Also paraded was Ajayi Godwin, who was arrested in Auchi for alleged unlawful possession of firearms.
Akinla Lawrence and his accomplice were equally paraded for allegedly vandalising pipelines in the Okada axis of Ovia North East Local Council of the state.
The police said investigations into the various allegations were ongoing.
