A 32-year-old Suspect, Ayuba Salihu, has told Niger State Child Right Protection Agency how he Lured, and Sexually Abused an eight-year-old pupil with N100.

Salihu, a tailor, who lives at New Market, near Gwari Market, in Chanchaga Local Government, admitted he had carnal knowledge of the minor.

“I saw her in front of my shop crying that she misplaced N100 of the money she made from selling pure (sachet) water and I gave her the N100.

“The following day I saw her hawking, I called her to buy water, but the devil lured me into the act.

“I’m sorry to have engaged in such an act with a little girl. I promise never to repeat such act again; please forgive me,” he pleaded with the agency.

The victim’s grandmother said the victim was sent to buy N50 pepper in the morning on August 26, but did not return home until 9 pm.

“I became worried when she did not return home early.

“I called my stepson and we went round looking for her because we thought she had been kidnapped.

“It was during the search that we saw her walking to the house at night.

“I asked where she had been, but she did not respond until my stepson started beating her.

“She confessed a man, a tailor in the market, has been having sex with her anytime she passes the area.”

The grandmother quoted the girl as saying the first time they did it, the man lured her into a corner and sexually abused her.

She (grandmother) said she reported the matter to officials of Drug and Crime, who arrested the suspect and brought him to the agency.

The victim said the suspect lured her into his shop while hawking pure (sachet) water, dragged her to a deserted area and had sex with her.

“He called me that he wanted to buy pure water. After buying the water, he held my hand and told me that we should go and flirt, the minor said.

“I told him no, but he dragged me to a lonely area, brought out his manhood and penetrated me.

“He has had carnal knowledge of me five times. After the act, sometimes he will give me N10, N50 and N100 and warn me not to tell anyone or else, he will deal with me,” the girl added.

The agency’s Director-General, Mrs. Mairam Kolo, said the suspect would be handed over to the police.

Kolo, who decried the rate at which children were being sexually abused, said the agency would campaign against allowing children to hawk.

She said begging and hawking exposed children to vices and advised parents to desist from the act.