Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a 17-year-old male, Usman Dauda, over the alleged defilement of a three-year-old girl in Saki, Oyo State. The arrest was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday, September 24, 2026, by the command's Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade.
Ayanlade said the arrest followed a distress report lodged at the Saki Divisional Police Station on September 17, 2026, at about 6 p.m., after the child went missing while being retrieved from school earlier that afternoon. A localised search subsequently led to her recovery along the roadside in a state of distress, where preliminary inquiries revealed that the suspect had forcefully taken her into his apartment to commit the act. "In its bid to rid the state of gender-based violence and offences targeted at women and vulnerable persons, operatives of the Oyo Police Command have arrested a 17-year-old male, one Usman Dauda, for allegedly defiling a 3-year-old girl in Saki," the statement read.
Following the revelation, detectives swiftly visited and secured the scene of the crime, resulting in the immediate arrest of the suspect and the recovery of critical physical evidence linked to the offence. The young survivor was promptly rushed to a medical facility in Saki, where she is currently receiving comprehensive clinical treatment and psychotherapeutic care.
The state Police Command reiterated its unwavering zero-tolerance policy against child abuse and sexual violence. "In strict compliance with the Child Rights Act and established ethical protection guidelines, the privacy, dignity, and identity of the survivor and her family will remain fully protected throughout this process," Ayanlade stated. To ensure justice is thoroughly served, the case has been transferred to the Gender Desk, State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, for exhaustive investigation and prosecution.
The Command assured the people of the state of its commitment to safety, urging them to remain vigilant by promptly reporting any acts of violence against children or vulnerable persons to the nearest police facility. The identity of the survivor and her family will remain fully protected throughout the process, in line with the Child Rights Act and established ethical protection guidelines.
The case adds to a growing list of defilement cases in Oyo State. In February 2026, an 18-year-old boy, Basit Tijani, was arrested by detectives in Ilero Division for the alleged defilement of a 17-year-old female. In January, a 17-year-old boy, Jamiu Adebayo, was arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly defiling his neighbour's eight-year-old daughter in the Aregbe area of Abeokuta. The suspect lured the survivor into his parents' sitting room, instructed her to remove her underwear, and then defiled her.
The defilement of a three-year-old child is a grave criminal offence under Nigerian law, and the suspect faces prosecution. The case will now proceed through the Gender Desk of the State Criminal Investigation Department, where investigators will gather evidence and prepare the case for trial. The police have not disclosed the suspect's relationship to the victim or the exact location of the incident within Saki.
For the family of the three-year-old survivor, the arrest represents the beginning of a painful legal process, but it also signals that the police are treating the case with the seriousness it deserves. The police have urged residents to remain vigilant and report any acts of violence against children or vulnerable persons to the nearest police station, stressing that timely reporting remains critical to enabling effective intervention and preventing criminal activities. The suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
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