The Police Command in Gombe State has arrested a 71-year-old man for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old girl.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Maikudi Shehu, disclosed this during a press conference on Wednesday in Gombe.

Shehu said that the suspect, a maize seller at the Gombe main market, who resides in Idi quarters in Gombe, was arrested on June 18.

He said that preliminary investigation had revealed that the suspect lured the victim to grind corn and steal more corn at the grinding place.

“The suspect gave a talisman to the victim to bury in her house, which, he said, would protect her from being caught or seen while carrying out the act of stealing. The victim succeeded in stealing about 146 measures of corn.

The police commissioner said that the suspect, thereafter, had carnal knowledge of the girl, adding that the victim confessed to have been raped 10 times.

In a similar vein, Shehu said that the police command had also arrested a member of a kidnapping gang, who invaded Yelwa village in Akko Local Government area of the state to carry out their nefarious activities.

“Based on a distress call, a combined team of police patrol and hunters blocked the routes where the kidnappers went to carry out their crime and on sighting the policemen, the hoodlums opened fire.

“ During the exchange of fire with policemen, one of the kidnappers was gunned down and another person, who was also one of the kidnappers, was arrested while others fled with gunshot injuries,’’ he said.

Shehu stated that the kidnapped person had escaped unhurt, while the police recovered one locally-made pistol and two Bajaj motorcycles from the kidnappers.

While promising to continue to combat crimes and criminalities in the state, Shehu said investigations were ongoing to arrest the other kidnappers who had escaped.

He called on the people of the state to continue to support the police by giving vital information that would aid the arrest of criminals in various communities. (NAN)