Abia Rape: Human Rights Firm Petition IGP
ABUJA, SEPTEMBER 29, (THEWILL) – An Abuja-based human rights law firm on Wednesday joined the growing list of groups agitating for investigations into last month’s gang-rape of a young lady by boys suspected to be students of Abia State University, ABSU (as exclusively brought to internet space by THEWILL), when it petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), requesting “investigation, prevention and punishment” of the crime and other assaults on underage girls. It also copied the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; Minister of Youth and Development; HAttorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abia State; Commissioner of Police, Abia State; and Chairperson, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Abia State Chapter.
The firm, C.N. Ajie & Co, expressed concerns about frequent incidences of sexual crimes against young and underage girls in the country. Often times, it lamented, victims who report to authorities are usually traumatised in the hands of officers whose statutory responsibilities compel citizens’ safety and protection especially.
“On Saturday 17th September 2011, our attention was drawn, online, to a recorded gang rape by five suspected cultists, of a female student. The culprits are identified as Jonah Uche (Final year or extra year, Accountancy), Wisdom, Zaki (Duberville Lodge ABSU), Chisom and Ifeanyi Ogu Justin (believed to be students of ABSU). Sir, unless your officers get to work and find Miss X [the victim], the civil and human rights society will protest it, particularly considering the reasonable probability that she may not even have survived the cruel act...,” a part of the petition read.
The firm also chided the Vice Chancellor of ABSU, Professor Chibuzor Ogbuagu, for denying that the rape happened on campus or that the cultists are students of ABSU. “The VC was not in a position to investigate crime; and bearing in mind that the denial was hurried and appeared conjectured, only his maximum cooperation with the Police would help to smoke out the culprits wherever they are and whoever their sponsors.”
However, it had words of praise for the Minister of Youth and Development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who had earlier issued a statement, through his Special Assistant on Media, Julius Agunro, to condemn the act as “barbaric, decadent, despicable and wicked. “Although he had called on Law Enforcement Agencies, the Police and others to step up action, no arrest or interrogation has been made, even as we write, and the victim has not yet been seen,” it moaned.
It urged the IGP to apprehend the culprits and prosecute them according to section 358 of the Criminal Code Act, which recommends life sentence for the offence of rape; and section 320 (2) of the same Act, which condemns to imprisonment for life, persons who through their acts endanger human life, for the felonious offence.... “Sir, there are several provisions of the Nigerian Criminal Laws and our Fundamental Rights Laws that were blatantly broken by the gang of five lawless men, who portend more dangerous signals if allowed to walk away to associate with other members of the society, many of whom are harmless,” it warned.
In its submission, the firm said: “In collaboration with the civil and human rights community, and many concerned Nigerians, we await quick police responses to this petition and request that urgent steps be taken, reasons we copied the AGF and Justice Minister, CoP Abia State and the AG with a view to keeping every girl safe. Act now!”