A 42-year-old man, identified as Oji Okoro, has been arrested by the Edo State Police Command for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old boy.
Okoro was among 16 suspects paraded by the command for various alleged offences, including kidnapping, vandalism, unlawful possession of firearms and staged kidnapping.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, said Okoro was arrested over an alleged unnatural offence involving the minor.
Also paraded were 26-year-old Donatus Martins and his associate, who were accused of vandalising cables and equipment belonging to the Africa Independent Television office in Benin.
According to the police, the suspects allegedly stole equipment worth more than N4m from the premises since the television station stopped operations.
Martins reportedly confessed to participating in the vandalism, saying he and his associate sold stolen items to raise money whenever he had no work as a bricklayer.
Another suspect, Chigozie Anthony, was arrested for allegedly luring a girl from TikTok to his residence, hiding her and demanding N500,000 from her parents.
Anthony, however, denied kidnapping the girl, claiming that she was his girlfriend and that they jointly planned the incident to obtain money from her family.
The police also paraded Ajayi Godwin over alleged unlawful possession of firearms in Auchi, while Akinla Lawrence and his associate were arrested for alleged pipeline vandalism around Okada in Ovia North-East Local Government Area.
The command said investigations into the various cases were ongoing.
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