A beauty pageant organizer has landed in hot soup after allegedly subjected a young girl to s*xual abuse and torture.
Men of the Nigeria Police Force
Ambassador Richard Franklin, a Beauty Pageant Organiser, has been arrested.
The man was arrested on Monday by Armed Policemen over alleged r*pe
of a 16-year-old model in Azikoro area of Yenagoa Local Government
Council of Bayelsa.
According to Leadership, Franklin was alleged to be a serial rapists and known to police divisions in the state capital.
It was gathered from investigative officers of the state command of
the police in Yenagoa that though the accused has pleaded guilty and
made confessional statement to various cases of r*pe and alleged s*xual
assault of potential models and beauty contestants, the police are
investigating more petitions and cover-ups involving some police
officers.
Police sources have revealed the suspected rapist was arrested
following a petition filed by the International Federation of Women
Lawyers (FIDA) led by Barr. Dise Ogbise Erhisere.
According to police investigations, it was gathered that the
alleged rape victim, identified as Ebi Gesiere, an indigene of
Ammassoma community in Southern Ijaw Local Government area of the state,
was alleged assaulted and raped by the accused on the 25th September,
2016.
According to the victim, she had secured a form to contest on the
Miss Bayelsa Teen pageant and the Miss Tourism Pageant and during the
audition she met the manager of the event and accused, Richard Franklin.
“Franklin asked me to meet him at the Opili Plaza near the NUJ
press centre for a photo shoot. Despite my scheduled church service
attendance, I went. On getting to the place, he locked the door and
asked me to pull my clothes and put on another for the photo shoot.
"When I pulled, he asked to pull my undies. But I declined. He
hit me with iron rod and threatened to throw me from the three story
building. He threatened to lock me in and hand me over to boys to
defile. He later had his way with the iron rod point close to my eyes.”
Investigation by the FIDA further showed that though the police
divisions in the state had received series of petitions bothering on
rape and assault against Richard Franklin. Some senior police officers
have covered up the investigation and allowed him walk free.
The parents of the accused are desperately mounting pressure for
his release and it is clear he has many link within the police force.
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