Date: 2018-03-07

A 70-year-old school security guard, Morounmubo Ayinde, has been arrested by policemen for allegedly raping an 11-year- old primary school girl in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The suspect who is also the gatekeeper of Okelele Secondary School, in the Ilorin metropolis, allegedly committed the heinous act over the weekend within the school premises.

He was said to have lured the victim, who reportedly approached him for a cup of water, to a building where he had carnal knowledge of the girl and was caught by a member of Okelele community.

The community member whose name could not be immediately ascertained allegedly raised an alarm, which drew the attention of other residents to the scene of the crime.

The suspect was paraded yesterday at the state Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Ilorin where he also confessed to having raped the victim.

He blamed the devil for the act, which he insisted, never happened to him in the last four years he was deployed from the Ministry to serve as a security guard. Report from a medical facility the victim was taken to also confirmed that the suspect defiled her, the Ministry said.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Hajia Maryam Ayo Garuba, directed that Ayinde, father of four, be handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.

She said the trial of the suspect would serve as a deterrent to others who might have been perpetrating the criminal act.

"This situation is very unfortunate. It is unfortunate that the security people we put in the schools are the ones who are perpetrating this. Imagine this 70 or more than 70-year old man, a security man who should be guarding the school is the one who is raping these school children.

"I don't know what the world is becoming. What security measures can you put in place more than that? The school principal is there, the school teachers are there. Remember, this did not happen on a weekday; it happened on a Saturday and this child schools around the place.

Security guard faces rape charge

"So, I'm sure, he must have been eyeing her, he must have been having carnal knowledge of her before then and invited her on that Saturday just to ensure that he perpetrates the evil he wanted to perpetuate.

"We can only guard, we can't be all over the place. We would just ensure that we call ANCOPSS and brief them that they should ensure that school prefects and teachers go round the school premises, especially where there are corners and hideouts. That is what we intend to do and tell them to beef up security situation in their schools", she said.