An Islamic cleric, identified as Kadiri, is in police custody following his arrest on Saturday for allegedly engaging in sexual activity with a minor in Ede.
The incident, which occurred in the Babasanya-Araka area, sparked outrage among residents, leading to an angry mob apprehending and assaulting the suspect before law enforcement intervened.
The Osun State Police Command confirmed the arrest through its spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi.
Ojelabi stated that police operatives were dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of the incident.
“The matter was reported, and we deployed operatives to the scene. When our men got to the scene, the Amotekun men who arrested him handed him over to us,” Ojelabi explained to Sunday PUNCH.
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He added that Kadiri is currently in police custody, and a divisional investigation is underway before the case is transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
Idowu Yusuf, spokesperson for the Amotekun security outfit, provided additional details, confirming that the suspect is an Imam of a local mosque and also runs an Arabic school in the area.
“He also has an Arabic school in the area where he is teaching students Arabic. Further investigation is being done by the police,” Yusuf stated.
A Babasanya-Araka resident, who requested anonymity, described how the suspect was apprehended.
The eight-year-old victim had reportedly been missing for several hours on Saturday.
When she was found, she was crying and bleeding, prompting her mother to question her about what had happened. The child was subsequently taken to a hospital in Ede for medical attention.
