A 47-year-old man, identified as Mr. Emi Sigah, has reportedly died after being flogged in Ekowe community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, following an allegation that he raped a 10-year-old girl.
It was gathered that the incident occurred yesterday.
The deceased was said to have collapsed after receiving about 40 strokes of cane, part of a customary punishment that prescribes up to 120 strokes for individuals accused of rape in the community.
Residents said the practice is an age-long tradition in Ekowe, where each of the 12 families administers 10 strokes of the cane, amounting to a total of 120 strokes, as a deterrent against sexual offences, which are considered as sacrilegious act in the community.
It was gathered that the rape victim (name withheld) had accompanied her aunty to a nearby farm to pluck okra, when she was allegedly ambushed by the culprit while her unsuspecting aunty was leading the way from the farm.
The suspect was said to have been caught allegedly molesting the toddler in the nearby bush.
Then in fulfilment of the old culture of Ekowe community, the suspect was subjected to a 120 flogging marathon, but he fainted after enduring 40 strokes and was later confirmed dead.
It was gathered that some individuals in the community tried to intervened, offered between N50,000 and N15,000 as options for the flogging, but community youths insisted that the tradition must be followed to serve as deterrent to others.
The Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Mr. Target Segibo, who confirmed the incident in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Ayebaitari Easterday, said normalcy has been restored to the community with the timely intervention of the council and the security operatives.
He said the youth president of the community and three others persons have been arrested in connection with the death of the suspect, adding that they are currently being detained at the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) of the Bayelsa State Police Command in Yenagoa.
Mr. Easterday added that the police in Oporoma town, headquarters of Southern Ijaw LGA in company of council officials have evacuated the body of the suspect and deposited it at the Federal Medical Centre mortuary in Yenagoa.
He said the council condemned the action of the community youths, describing it as alien to modern laid down processes of handling criminal cases, urging people to report criminal suspects to the appropriate authorities, instead of taking laws into their hands.
He said, “As much as the Council do 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.
“The Council chairman is presently on a trip outside the state, so he was represented by a high power delegation of the Council headed by the Special Adviser on Security Matters.
“And of course security agents were very helpful in curbing the would -have been explosive crisis. We salute the affected family and the Ekowe community for embracing peace and not allowing the matter to escalate.”
When contacted, the Bayelsa State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Mohammed, said the incident had yet to be confirmed but assured that inquiries were ongoing.
