BY GODWIN IJEDIOGOR

THE Edo State Police Command, led by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Funsho Adegboye, on Monday, May 13, handed over baby Sarah Suleiman to the custody of the state Commissioner of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Christabel Elawu, for specialised care.

    According to Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Force Headquarters, Mr. Olumuyiwa Adejobi (ACP): “Following the disturbing incident involving the viral dissemination of inappropriate pictures depicting a four-year-old girl, under the Instagram handle, @officialsarah, the Command identified and subsequent arrested Musa Suleiman, a 27-year-old resident of the state, believed to be linked to the incident.

“Preliminary investigation further revealed that Suleiman is indeed the father of the young child, known as Sarah.

“In response to the urgent need for protection and care of the child involved, following public outrage as a result of these images, the Commissioner of Police, the Edo State Police Command, on Sunday, May 12, apprehended Suleiman, who remains under discreet investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department to ascertain the full extent of his involvement in this distressing situation.”

The handover ceremony was attended by the Command’s management team, officials from the state’s GBV department and members of the state coalition of civil society.

Adejobi added that “while we appreciate the continued support and cooperation of the public in addressing such critical issues, we urge Nigerians to always say something when they see something.” 

Recall that the Police arrested Suleiman for engaging his three-year-old daughter Sarah, who is a kid model, in adult content on social media at the Auchi area of the state.

A statement by spokesperson of the Command, Chidi Nwabuzor, on Sunday, May 12, said some of the viral videos had generated concerns from Nigerians, who called for Suleiman’s arrest, because his daughter was not safe in his custody, as they feared that she might be involved in pornographic activities or sexually abused for monetary gains.

 Sarah’s Instagram page contained posts that promoted nudity and immorality, as she engaged in adult activities, like attending clubs, photo/video sessions with a bikini, seductive dance and others.

Nwabuzor also stated that a Malaysian influencer and an adult movie actress, Siew Pui Yi, known as Ms. Puiyi, was his daughter’s mentor, as he specified in every post made on her page.

In a post Suleiman made on his daughter’s page on December 30, last year, he uploaded a provocative picture of his daughter with two yet-to-be-identified grown men, accompanied with a disturbing caption, which read, “Hanging out with men; the kids stay at home. Yoo!.”

In an earlier statement, Suleman had clarified that he took the actions because he was not getting support from social media users towards his passion, so he decided to “promote” his child’s modelling career.

He said: “One Nigeria, we cannot do comedy because no helper, this is what we can do. Help promote a model.”

Nwabuzor noted that the Command immediately effected the arrest of Suleman after he was exposed and an investigation was ongoing to make sure justice was served.

“The Edo State Police Command is aware of the trending video of a child of about four-year-old conspicuously naked and used as adult content in an undisclosed hotel in Auchi, Edo State.

“The Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, Mr. Funsho Adegboye, immediately drafted a tactical team to go out and arrest the suspect and his cohort. Within 12 hours, the father of the girl was arrested and investigation has commenced, while further revelation will be made known to the public.

“The CP, therefore, appealed to the good citizens of Nigeria to remain calm.”