Man flogged to death for alleged rape in Bayelsa

A 47-year-old man identified as Emi Sigah has died while being flogged for alleged rape of a 10-year-old girl at Ekeowe, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

In Ekeowe, according to their custom, perpetrators of rape receive 10 strokes from each of the 12 quarters that make up the community.

Sigah fainted after receiving 40 out of the 120 strokes on Wednesday, according to sources in the coastal community.

It was gathered that following the incident, the community youth leader and three others have been arrested while the police have commenced investigation into the matter.

The victim had accompanied her aunt to a nearby farm to harvest okra and as they were returning home the deceased ambushed her.

The unsuspecting aunt was walking ahead thinking the young girl was behind her while the deceased was allegedly sexually molesting her niece.

A passerby who caught the culprit in the act raised the alarm and the community condemned the taboo, which in Ekeowe tradition is punishable by 120 strokes of the cane.

However, in this case, some community folk offered to pay as much as N50,000 and N15,000 as alternative to the flogging, which the community rejected.

The community insisted on the flogging to serve as deterrent to others and after 40 strokes, Sigah fainted and was later confirmed dead thereby resulting in panic in coastal community.

Ayebaitari Easterday, chief press secretary to Target Segibo, chairman of Southern Ijaw Government Area, said normalcy has returned to the community with the timely intervention of local officials in collaboration with security operatives.

Easterday said police in Oporoma, headquarters of the local government area, in company of some council officials have evacuated the body of the suspect and deposited it at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.

He said that the council condemned the action of the community youths, describing it as alien to Modern laid-down processes of handling criminal cases and urged the people to report criminal cases to the appropriate authorities instead of taking the laws into their hands.

Easterday, however frowned at the sexual molestation of a minor, describing it as repugnant.

He stated: “As much as council does not align with the repugnant attempted rape of the minor, the action of the youths is alien.

“It would have only been commendable if they had reported the matter to security agencies for the law to take its course.”

When reached for comment, Musa Mohammed, Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying: “Yes. Four persons have been arrested. Investigation is ongoing.”