A security guard at the Benue State University, Joseph Adoyi, has been arrested by the police for allegedly impregnating his wife’s 11-year-old niece.

The victim was said to have been living with Adoyi and his wife at their residence at the North Bank area of Makurdi, Benue State, since she was three years old.

Adoyi allegedly started assaulting the victim by fondling her private parts.

According to PUNCH Metro, the suspect allegedly raped her and threatened to kill her if she told her aunt.

An activist, Ukan Kurugh, who narrated the victim’s ordeal, said the aunt got to know about the pregnancy when she noticed changes in the victim’s body.

“Ene (name has been changed) silently suffered the abuse of her uncle until she became pregnant. At three, Ene was sent to live with her aunt and her husband in Makurdi. Joseph Adoyi, a security man at the Benue State University and husband of Ene’s aunt, would find prey to satisfy his sexual urge soon; he began playing with her clitoris at age three.

“It continued until one fateful day when no one was at home. Straight from work, Joseph entered his bedroom only to come back to the parlour naked. Alarmed, little Ene protested; it was, however, too late. Joseph had made up his mind to have his way and nothing could stop him, not the screaming from the little girl. Say it to no one, Ene said she was warned or she will be killed.

“Joseph would do it again and again, then comes changes in Ene’s body system- from stomach upset, dizziness and collapse at some point. Suspicious Ene’s aunt took her urine for a pregnancy test. The test result showed pregnancy and abortion was suggested by the aunt, but Ene preferred informing her parents.

“She was put on public transport and sent home to Orakam alone. Her agitated father sought to know why. Innocently, she told her father she was pregnant for her aunt’s husband,” the activist wrote on his Facebook page

Kurugh added that the victim’s father, identified simply as Ejah, confronted the suspect, who allegedly confessed to the crime.

Ukan Kurugh, said both Adoyi and his wife had been arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department in Makurdi.

He said, “We went as a civil society organisation to the State CID today (Monday) where the man was detained with his wife. He denied the act, but said he was going to take responsibility for the girl and the baby after she gave birth.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, who confirmed the incident, said the suspect denied the act.

She said, “The girl is actually pregnant, that is what the medical report says. So, if he did that, it will be easy to detect probably when the child is out. But for now, he is in custody and investigation is still on.”