Angry residents of Obunagha community in Yenagoa Local Council of Bayelsa State have apprehended a 40-year-old man for allegedly defiling and s0domising his 12-year-old stepdaughter.

Sources said the girl, who was bleeding from the anus, was taken to the Niger Delta University Hospital for medical attention and is currently receiving treatment.

The suspect, said to be a bricklayer in the community, was later handed over to the state’s Rapid Response Unit at Dor Akpoor after residents restrained and flogged him.

The father of the victim, who asked not to be named, described the incident as distressing and confirmed that the child remains under close medical care. He said the family was consulting on the next steps, including possible prosecution.

Youth leaders in the area, alongside a gender-based organisation, said they had deployed field officers to monitor developments.

A former youth president of the Gbarain Youths Federation, Pere Orufa, confirmed the incident and urged parents and guardians to be vigilant in protecting children.

The founder of the Do Foundation, Dr Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry, said recent cases of child s3xual abuse recorded between December 2025 and January 2026 were troubling.

She called for renewed public sensitisation and stronger preventive measures, noting the need for coordinated action by all stakeholders to curb gender-based violence.