The Gombe State Police Command says it received over 250 reports of rape cases mostly involving minors in the state between January and December 2020.
The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Maikudi Shehu, revealed this yesterday while briefing newsmen on the activities of the command ahead of the yuletide festivities.
He said although crimes of various kinds were declining in view of the proactive measures the state command had put in place, rape of minors had become a trending and disturbing issue in the state.
“In the last 12 months over 200 suspects have been charged to courts. The perpetrators are usually above 50 years old, abusing children of between three and six years,” he said.
CP Shehu lamented that the cases of defilement of children by adults for either ritual purposes or for pleasure have steadily been climbing.
The police added that in the year under review, the command also received 10 reports of sodomy between June and December.
He advised parents not to wash away incriminating evidence of crime on their children, but to take the affected child to the hospital immediately for proper examination.
Shehu said cases of kidnapping in the state had reduced, adding that the only challenge was a community in the southern part of the state, “but we have deployed our personnel there and the reports from there in the last three days have been impressive.”
He assured residents that the police would ensure safety of lives and property during the yuletide and urged members of the public to provide the police with useful information to help nip crimes in the bud.
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