The police in Bayelsa State, southern Nigeria, have paraded three out of four suspects linked to the assault of a teenager, Nancy Wilfred.
Nancy, who is from Imo State, resides in Ughelli, Delta State. She said she traveled to Bayelsa for her friend’s “signing out” ceremony at the Federal University Otuoke, where she was assaulted on 29 August.
In a Facebook video, the victim said she had stayed behind with her friend at Edepie School Road in Yenagoa. According to her, “a little quarrel” between her and her friend led to her assault.
“My friend ganged up with the three other girls, they called me that I should come and pick up my clothes from the drycleaner and that the clothes are ready. Getting to the place, they locked the door and started questioning me.”
Nancy said the four girls first took away her phone and began to hit her with a hard object.
The viral video of the assault was posted on X a few days ago. It showed the girls slapping and punching the victim. They later stripped her and used a sharp object to cut her hair braids.
Nigerians have expressed outrage over the assault, after the victim filed a petition to the police.
The parade
During the Thursday parade at the police headquarters in Yenagoa, the state capital, the police identified the suspects as Kadi Daniel, Miracle, and Becky, all students of the Federal University, Otuoke in Bayelsa.
Kadi, one of the suspects, admitted her role in the assault. She attributed their actions to alcohol and expressed regret about the incident.
“She lied against me, saying I used charms. When I confronted her and she didn’t answer, I slapped her, and she pushed me back. That was how it all started,” Kadi said.
She said the attack escalated beyond what she and her accomplices had planned.
The suspect disclosed that four people were initially involved in the incident, but one of them, identified as Favour, who allegedly instigated the attack, is on the run.
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According to a report published by Vanguard, the police spokesperson in the state, Musa Mohammed, said investigations revealed that the suspects lured the victim to their apartment under pretences, attacked her, stripped her, and recorded the act before sharing it online.
The assault, according to police, was linked to allegations that Nancy accused one of the suspects of using charms, locally called Kayamata, to attract men.
Mr Mohammed, a deputy superintendent of police, assured that justice would be served and reaffirmed the police’s commitment to arresting the remaining suspect.
The commissioner of police in Bayelsa, Francis Idu, confirmed that the arrested suspects would face charges including conspiracy, indecent assault, grievous harm, attempted kidnapping, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking.
The police chief said the matter was being treated with “utmost seriousness”.