The parents of a five-year-old girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted in the Anguwan Rogo community of Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, have accused police officers of demanding ₦50,000 to investigate the crime.
The victim’s parents stated they cannot afford the fee and fear that their inability to pay will allow the suspect to walk free.
The incident involving the minor, Hauwa’u Hayatu, occurred last Thursday. According to the victim’s mother, Suwaiba Iliyasu, the girl and her brother returned home from school with roasted groundnuts. When questioned about who gave them the treat, the five-year-old revealed that a neighbor, identified as Zubairu Ussaini, had taken her into a room and assaulted her.
“I asked her who gave her the groundnuts,” Iliyasu said. “She said our neighbor outside removed her trousers, beat her, and gave her the groundnuts. When asked further, Hauwa’u said that he took her to a room, removed his trousers and hers, and put her on his lap.”
The parents initially confronted the suspect, who denied the assault, claiming he only gave the children ₦200 to stop them from crying after he scolded them for playing.
The family reported the matter to the Anguwan Rogo Police Station. Following the advice of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), the girl was taken to a hospital, where medical doctors confirmed she had been defiled.
While the suspect was arrested and the case was escalated to the Plateau State Police Headquarters, the parents claim the investigation hit a wall when the file was transferred to the ‘A’ Division in Jos.
“At the Anguwan Rogo Police Division and at the Police Headquarters, nobody asked us to pay anything. But at ‘A’ Division, a female police officer told us we must pay ₦50,000 to open a file.” Hayatu Muhammad, Victim’s Father.
The father, a daily-wage earner, questioned the legality of the fee. “I go out daily to look for what my family will eat. I am not rich. How will I get the money? I asked the police what the money was meant for, and where the receipt was if payment was made. We argued, and I later told them that I don’t have the money and left.”
The family is appealing directly to the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, civil society organizations, and human rights advocates to intervene. They are calling for an immediate investigation into both the assault of their daughter and the alleged extortion attempt by the officers at the ‘A’ Division to ensure the suspect faces prosecution.