A suspect accused of defiling a 16-year-old girl in Rivers State has escaped from police custody during a visit to the scene of the alleged crime, sparking outrage and criticism from members of the public and legal advocates.

The suspect, identified simply as Mr Goodnews, allegedly escaped on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, while accompanying an Investigating Police Officer (IPO) from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Port Harcourt, to the scene of the incident at Apu Road, Rumuokwuta axis of Rukpokwu in Obio/Akpor Local Council.

The suspect was earlier arrested by operatives of the Special Area Division, Rumudomaya, over allegations of defilement and was subsequently transferred to the SCIID in Port Harcourt for further investigation.

Speaking to journalists, the father of the alleged victim narrated how the suspect reportedly escaped during the police investigation procedure.

According to him, the police team, alongside the suspect and members of the victim’s family, had visited the suspect’s residence within their compound as part of efforts to reconstruct events surrounding the alleged offence.

He alleged that the suspect was not handcuffed during the visit.

The victim’s father explained that the suspect was attempting to open the padlock to his apartment upstairs but encountered difficulties. He said he suggested to the IPO that a hammer could be used to break the padlock and briefly went downstairs to his apartment to retrieve one.

However, upon returning, he allegedly saw the IPO descending from the upper floor of the building and was informed that the suspect had escaped.

According to him, he immediately ran in the direction the officer claimed the suspect fled but was unable to locate him. The incident has since generated reactions from legal practitioners and child rights advocates, who described the development as disturbing and unacceptable.

A legal practitioner and Executive Director of Lawyers Watch Justice International Initiative, GbengaOladapo, condemned the incident, describing it as “extremely ridiculous.”

“It is extremely ridiculous that the police would come out to say that. This is not just negligence; it is a betrayal of the victim, her family, and every Nigerian child who deserves protection under the law,” he said.
He urged the police authorities to intensify efforts to re-arrest the fleeing suspect.

Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, ASP AgabeKaborlo, confirmed that the suspect escaped during the investigation process. According to the police spokesperson, efforts were ongoing to track down and re-arrest the suspect.