A three-year-old girl is currently in an induced coma, fighting for her life, after allegedly being r3ped, st3bbed, and left for d3ad on a shack’s roof in the Lion Park informal settlement in Diepsloot, Gauteng, South Africa.
The 28-year-old suspect, Dlodlo, the mother’s ex-boyfriend and a once-trusted family friend who often babysat the child, was reportedly caught by community members, while drinking with friends, and appeared unaware that the child had survived and was fighting for her life in the hospital.
He allegedly confessed, claiming that “the devil made him do it.”
A community member discovered Warona (a pseudonym) on the roof of the suspect’s shack on Sunday, September 7, 2025, around 6pm.
The child had been under the care of her grandmother while her mother was at work when Dlodlo took her and two other children under the pretence of buying them sweets.
When the other two children returned without Warona, neighbours alerted the grandmother.
The incident has left the community reeling and sparked urgent calls for justice.
Family members told journalists on Saturday, September 20, that medical reports confirmed the child had been s3xually v!0lated, st@bbed in the neck, and left on the roof before the suspect fled the scene.
“She was brought down from the roof and rushed to Diepsloot Clinic, but her injuries were too severe. She was referred to Yusuf Dadoo Hospital, then Leratong, and finally Baragwanath Hospital,” a close relative explained.
“She underwent extensive surgery on her gen!tals and neck before being placed in an induced coma.”
The family described the suspect as a trusted figure.
“We didn’t see any problem with him spending time with the baby. That’s why we didn’t worry when she wasn’t back home yet,” a family member said.
They revealed that when the community learned of the crime, they launched a search and found the alleged perpetrator was eventually found drinking with friends after a tip-off.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) had earlier issued a public alert and a wanted picture of the suspect a day after the incident, appealing to the public for assistance in tracing him.
The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) detectives, along with members from the K9, Drone unit and Crime Intelligence, mobilised resources to find him.
By the time officers reached the scene, the shack where the attack took place had already been torn down by outraged community members, according to the statement.
Police then warned against tampering with crime scenes, stressing that it can compromise evidence and hinder ongoing investigations.
Gauteng Police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that the man appeared in court on September 12, and is scheduled to appear at Randburg Magistrate’s Court on November 7, 2025.
“Police can confirm that a suspect who was wanted for allegedly raping a three-year-old girl in Diepsloot was apprehended by the private security officers on Tuesday, September 9. He was charged with rape and appeared before Randburg Magistrate’s Court.”
As the case proceeds, civil society groups, the victim’s family, and the Lanseria community continue to demand swift justice. For them, this case has become a painful reminder of South Africa’s ongoing battle against gender-based violence and child abuse and the urgent need to protect its most vulnerable citizens.
The prosecution on Wednesday presented five witnesses and video evidence at the trial of content creator Ifeanyi Ogbonna, popularly known as Odogwu Asaba, over alleged rape and manslaughter in connection with the death of 20-year-old Favour Agbro.
The witnesses included Agbro’s twin sister, brother and father, the doctor who conducted the post-mortem examination, and an investigating police officer. The case is being heard by the Delta State High Court in Asaba.
However, the defence counsel requested more time to study the statements of the prosecution witnesses and the additional evidence served on the defence.
Speaking after the proceedings, the prosecution said it was prepared to proceed with the case but acknowledged the need to allow the defence adequate time to examine the materials.
The prosecution team was led by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Omamuzo Erebe, SAN, alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions, Tejiri Anuhwin, and other state counsel.
Ogbonna had pleaded not guilty to the charges on October 21, 2026, before Justice Michael Nduka Obi. The allegations relate to Agbro’s death in June 2026.
The court adjourned the case until November 19, 2026, for the continuation of the trial, when the prosecution is expected to proceed with its witnesses and evidence.
Recall that the court had remanded the content creator at the Ogwashi-Uku Maximum Correctional Centre after he was arrested and arraigned following allegations of raping Agbro, who later died after ingesting a toxic substance.
The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested a man, Ugwumba Enyinnaya, for allegedly impersonating a lawyer and practising for more than 11 years.
The state Police Public Relations Officerzz, SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the arrest followed an investigation into a petition alleging obtaining money by false pretence.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly collected ₦650,000 from one Chukwu David in March 2026 to facilitate the processing and approval of a street naming in Ohaozara Local Government Area.
The petitioner alleged that Enyinnaya presented himself as a lawyer with years of legal experience.
The police said investigations following his arrest revealed that he had been parading himself as a legal practitioner despite not being a lawyer.
During interrogation, the suspect admitted that he was not a lawyer, according to the statement.
“A search of his apartment led to the recovery of several exhibits, including a Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal; a portrait of the suspect dressed in barrister’s regalia; purported Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree certificates for the suspect bearing the name of Enugu State University of Science and Technology; a barrister’s robe and wig; judgements allegedly procured from the court and various legal documents allegedly prepared by him, including powers of attorney and deeds of conveyance,” the statement said.
The police said the suspect had been charged to court.
The Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, CP Hope Okafor, commended the operatives for uncovering the alleged impersonation and urged members of the public to verify the credentials of people offering legal services.
A yet-to-be-identified motorcycle operator has been killed, and two others injured, after a speeding driver, allegedly fleeing police officers, knocked down three motorcycle riders on Liasu Road in the Idimu area of Lagos State.
The incident occurred on Saturday night during a police chase involving a vehicle suspected to belong to Internet fraudsters.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle while attempting to escape from the pursuing officers and knocked down the three motorcycle riders in the process.
One of the riders was said to have died on the spot, while the two others sustained injuries.
It was gathered that the driver and other occupants of the vehicle abandoned it and fled after realising what had happened.
An eyewitness who gave his name simply as Wahab said the vehicle was being chased from the Ile-Iwe end of the road towards the Council bus stop.
He said, “They were coming from the Ile-Iwe side when police officers in a minibus tried to stop them. It was in the process that they increased their speed and drove recklessly.
“It was when the driver lost control that he ran into the okada riders. The one directly hit died on the spot, and the driver and other male adults in the vehicle ran out of the vehicle and fled.”
The vehicle was subsequently towed to the nearest police station, while the injured victims were taken to a nearby hospital.
The incident, however, sparked a protest by commercial motorcycle riders operating along Powerline and Liasu roads, as they stopped conveying passengers to demand justice for their colleagues.
According to another resident, Titi Jayeoba, the protest left several residents stranded as they struggled to find alternative means of transportation.
“We were stranded on Sunday after the okada riders refused to operate. People who depend on motorcycles to get to church and other places were stranded. The tricycles available could not carry everybody, so many people found it difficult to get to their destinations.
“And some were not even interested in tricycles because they would not take them into their streets,” Jayeoba stated.
It was gathered that normalcy had since returned to the area after the motorcycle operators resumed operations later in the evening.
The deceased victim was also said to have been buried according to Islamic rites.
When contacted on Tuesday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said she was not aware of the incident. She, however, promised to revert.
