The Osun State Police Command has taken an Islamic cleric, known simply as Kadiri, into custody over allegations of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl in Ede, Osun State.
The incident reportedly occurred in the Babasanya-Araka area of Ede and sparked outrage among local residents. An angry mob apprehended and assaulted the suspect before security operatives arrived.
Confirming the incident on Saturday, July 5, 2025, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, stated that the police were alerted and promptly deployed officers to the scene. He explained that operatives of the Amotekun Corps had initially detained the suspect and later handed him over to the police.
“The report was made, and our officers were dispatched. When they arrived, the suspect was already in the custody of Amotekun operatives who then handed him over to us,” Ojelabi said. “He is now in our custody, and a preliminary investigation is underway at the divisional level before the case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).”
Amotekun spokesperson, Idowu Yusuf, also confirmed the development, identifying the suspect as the Imam of a local mosque who also runs an Arabic school in the community. He added that further inquiries are being conducted by the police.
A resident of Babasanya-Araka, who requested anonymity, recounted how the young girl was discovered. According to the witness, the child had gone missing for several hours before she was found in distress.
“She had been missing for some time on Saturday. When she was eventually found, she was crying and bleeding. Her mother, worried by her condition, rushed her to a hospital in Ede for medical examination,” the resident narrated.
