Witches Pushed Me To Rape 9-Year-Old Girl, Says Father Of 3

A 39-year-old father of 3,Ekpeyong Essien,who raped a 9 year old girl blamed his 2 sons, whom he alleged are witches, for pushing him to commit the crime. Essien, who hails from Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State, had on July 12, raped 9 year old Bright Benjamin, at Hawkins Primary School in the Calabar South area of the state capital. He said the girl had approached him for money to pay her fares home, but he simply instructed her to follow him to a nearby primary school where he defiled her with his fingers. Essien said his life became useless after his two sons were bewitched by one of his neighbours. Essien is currently in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Cross River State Police Command at Diamond Hill in Calabar and would soon be charged to court. Narrating how he defiled the little girl, he said: “It was the handiwork of witches. Someone bewitched my children and my children in turn used what they have been given to affect my life negatively. The person who bewitched my children lives in our compound. What my children are doing with the witchcraft is to ensure that I become useless in life. “When I saw the girl, I called her and she followed me. I touched her a little before she followed me to Hawkins Primary School area in Calabar South. The place is close to the Hawkins cemetery and when I saw her, she was actually behind some group of persons that were going to the cemetery to bury someone. “She wanted me to give her transport fare back to her home. That was how I lured her with a promise to give her money. I have grown up children older than her. I do not know how she got attracted to me at that moment because I believe I was under the spell of my children’s devilish practice. “When I took her to one side of the school, I started romancing her. I did not force her to follow me, she did willingly. It was raining at that time. I had not seen her before. I only saw her on that day. I only fiddled with her private part, we had not really started making love before one security man in the school raised the alarm and I was caught.” He said he was a footballer with a local team before his children made him become useless. He said: “I used to play football in one of the local clubs but my children stopped me through their devilish practice. I am not the only one that is accusing my children of practising witchcraft; other tenants in the compound also know,”. Essien, who regretted his action, is pleading with the parents of the girl to forgive him. “I wish I could see the girl’s father to beg him. I am willing to pay any amount that they have spent on her in the hospital. I am really regretting my action because I have never had a criminal record before,” he said. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Hogan Bassey, said the medical report after the incident showed that the girl had been defiled. He said, “Because the suspect tried to penetrate and could not succeed, he used his fingers to defile her and based on the medical report, the girl has been defiled. The report showed bruises all over her vagina. “He actually heard the footsteps of someone coming and he ran away. The security man raised the alarm and he was caught. He is still under investigation and will soon be charged to court as soon as that is completed.”