Suspected Rapist Escapes Police Custody in Port Harcourt

A suspected rapist escaped from police custody in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday, after being arrested for allegedly defiling a 16-year-old girl on Apu Road in Rukpoku, Obio Akpor Local Government Area. The suspect was in the custody of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) when he escaped.

Mr. Princ, the father of the victim, reported that the police were unable to secure the suspect properly, as they struggled to open a padlock on the door of the suspect's apartment. Mr. Princ suggested using a hammer to break the padlock, which he did with police permission.

Upon returning with the hammer, he found that the suspect had escaped. Gbenga Oladapo, the Executive Director of Lawyer Watch Justice International Initiative, criticized the police for their negligence, stating that it betrayed the victim's family and called for a manhunt to re-arrest the suspect.

The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Bless Agab, confirmed that efforts to re-arrest the suspect are ongoing.