According to information made available to IgbereTV by the the founder of Brave Hearts Initiative, Priscilla Usiobaifo, the chief confessed to the crime and begged for forgiveness but he fled the community when he discovered that the girl’s parents were bent on getting justice.

Habiba, who was raped on June 11, 2020, soon began rotting away. It began with her suffering seizures hours after the rape incident. Then she became unwell and her health continued to deteriorate, causing people to suggest that she had been raped for rituals.

Last week, rashes appeared on Habiba’s skin and her skin started peeling. She died last Saturday, August 29, while she was being transferred to a more advanced hospital where she was expected to get better care.

Ms Usiobaifo revealed that Habiba had become so deformed before her death that it was extremely difficult to recognize her.

Habiba’s mother yet to recover from the shock of Habiba’s demise while the suspect is still free. Police at the Igarra division in Akoko-Edo, Edo state, have reportedly made repeated unsuccessful attempts to capture the chief.