The police in Ekiti State have arrested three secondary school teachers for allegedly raping underaged female students in the schools where they teach.

The suspects who are currently being detained at the police headquarters in Ado Ekiti are teachers from Osi Grammar School, Osi Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area and All Saints Grammar School in Ado Ekiti metropolis.

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Wale Fapohunda, had earlier warned of the state government’s readiness to begin a clampdown on teachers involved in sexually abusing female students in secondary schools in the state.

He had announced the commencement of investigations of all the rape complaints already lodged with the government.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Sunday Abutu, also confirmed the arrests on Wednesday.

The police spokesman said the suspects allegedly had sexual intercourse with the victims.

Mr Abutu said the teachers were reported to the police through a petition received from an activist (name withheld) that the suspects allegedly molested the victims sexually.

“The suspects, one from Osi Grammar school and two from All Soul’s Grammar School, are in our custody and they are giving us useful information,” Mr Abutu said.

“We have invited the victims and they are giving useful information to us, as well.

“But as of now, the victim from Osi Grammar School declined the allegation while being interrogated. But we are not resting, we will get to the root of the matter.”

Mr Abutu said the victims from All Soul’s have been invited by the police for interrogation, saying they are yet to give information concerning the incident.

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Ekiti State has been having a running battle with paedophiles in recent times, and had resorted to opening a record for “naming and shaming” those convicted of rape through public notices and publications.

In August last year, the government ensured the conviction of Asateru Gabriel, a 35-year-old clergyman, who was sentenced to five years imprisonment and fined N50,000 for sexually molesting a minor.

Mr Gabriel was sentenced by Oluwatoyin Abodunde, presiding judge of the Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti for the crime he committed in December 2016 at Ifisin Ekiti in Ido/Osi local government area of the state.

The state governor, Kayode Fayemi, who shared the image of the convict on his twitter page, said Mr Gabriel had been added to the Ekiti State Ministry of Justice Sex Offenders’ Register.