By John Ovie
A 47-year old man identified as Mr. Emi Sigah, has died at Ekeowe community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on Wednesday , March 25, 2026 after recieving 40 strokes of cane for allegedly raping a 10-year old girl.
Our correspondent learnt that it had been an age long tradition in Ekeowe for a culprit of rape to receive 10 strokes of the cane from each of the 12 families that made up the community amounting to an aggregate of 120 strokes as a measure for curbing the sacrilegious act.
It was gathered that the rape victim (name withheld) had accompanied her aunt to a nearby farm to pluck ocra when she was allegedly ambushed by the culprit while her unsuspecting aunt was in front of their way from the farm.
The suspect, we learnt, was caught allegedly fingering and sexually molesting the toddler in a nearby bush.
We gathered that an individual in the community offered N50,000 Naira while another offered N15,000 as alternative for the flogging but community folks insisted that the tradition must be followed to serve as deterrent to others.
In fulfilment of the old culture, TNN learnt that the rape suspect was subjected to a 120 marathon flogging exercise but fainted after enduring 40 strokes and was later confirmed dead.
According to Mr. Ayebaitari Easterday, Chief Press Secretary to the chairman of southern Ijaw council Area, Mr. Target Segibo, normalcy has returned to the community with the timely intervention of the chairman in collaboration with security operatives.
He hinted that the youth president of the community and three others have been arrested in connection with the death of the rape suspect and taken to the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) of the Bayelsa State Police Command in Yenagoa.
He added that the police in Oporoma town, headquarters of Southern Ijaw LGA in company of council officials have evacuated the body of the suspect and deposited it at the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa, the state capital.
He said council condemned the action of the community, describing it as alien to morden laid down processes of handling criminal cases, urging the people to report criminal suspects to the appropriate authorities instead of taking laws into their hands.
As at the time of writing this report, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Musa Mohammed told our correspondent that he was yet to get details of the incident, promising to call back later.
