Police have rescued a 15-year-old schoolgirl who was living with a 27-year-old man as his wife at Kabondo trading centre in Ndhiwa.
On Tuesday evening, the police, together with acting assistant chief Enos Nyawade, raided the house where the Standard 6 pupil was staying with the alleged husband after a tip-off.
Some members of the public had been concerned about the relationship between the man and the girl. Nyawade said the two had been living together in the house for the last two weeks as husband and wife.
“The arrest was dramatic after the man had attempted to fight a police officer as he resisted arrest. The girl was at the same time ululating to scare us away,” Nyawade said.
The administrator said the man at some point picked a panga and a knife to scare them away. A police officer had to fire up into the air before another officer entered the house and helped his colleague get hold of the suspect.
“We realised the man had threatened to harm the girl should she leak information that she was married off,” he added.
Ndhiwa police boss Robert Aboki said the man would be arraigned after interrogation. He is suspected to have been committing other forms of crime in the past.
“The court had issued a warrant of arrest against him but he had gone into hiding,” Aboki said.
The girl was taken to Ndhiwa police station and will be taken to school. The suspect was held at Kobodo police post.
Aboki urged residents to work closely with the police to reduce cases of child abuse.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
