A 40-year-old man has been arrested by the Benue State Police Command.

He was arrested for allegedly r*ping an eight-month-old pregnant woman.

The man identified as Akpo Igwe, a motorcyclist popularly known as okada rider, was said to have r*ped the 25-year-old woman (names withheld) last Thursday at Irabi Council Ward of Obi Local Government Area of the state.

A family source, who did not want to be mentioned, said the woman who was returning from the market had flagged down the motorcyclist to take her home only for the okada rider to divert to a bush part and r*ped the woman.

The family source said, “The incident happened last Wednesday at about 7:00 pm when the woman was returning from the market. She flagged down an okada man and bargained with him to take her home.

“So on their way home, the okada man diverted from the main road to a nearby bush, held her down, and r*ped her.

“In the process, the woman passed out and the bike man, thinking that the woman had died, dragged her and dumped her by a river bank where she lay till the following day.

“In the morning, she woke up and discovered herself in a state of subconsciousness. She was too weak to stand and so she just laid there praying for help.”

The source added that the family that had been searching for her throughout the night later found her lying down unconscious by the river bank the following day.

“When we found her in that state we quickly rushed her to the hospital while the matter was also reported at the nearest police station leading to the arrest of the culprit,” the family source said.

Our correspondent, however, learnt that the case had been transferred to the police headquarters in Makurdi where the suspect is cooling off.

When contacted on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP. Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident.

“The incident is confirmed,” Anene said.