By Eric Ojo
A frontline civil rights group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged the relevant agencies of government to ensure that just is done in the ongoing case of a 12-year old girl allegedly defiled by a 54 years old man in Abuja.
The teenage victim, Precious Yahaya was reportedly raped by Mr. Ikemba, a neigbour and father of three who is an Iron Bender. The crime which was committed in Kabusa community located in the outskirt of Abuja metropolis.Metro Daily Nigeria learnt that the victim of was kept in the Police station from Saturday when the matter was lodged by neighbours till on Monday afternoon in order to obtain medical report and prevent a situation where the evidence of the alleged rape will be tempered with it.
The association said justice must done and that the Police will under no circumstances compromise this matter of serious sexual violations of a teenager by a man old enough to be her grandfather.
“As members of the human rights community, we encourage the police to ensure that justice is done even as we make strong case to the Federal Government for the massive funding of police at the rural areas so such cases of sexual violations of children by adults are rapidly attended to.
“We urge the Federal Capita Territory (FCT) Police Commissioner to ensure that justice is done to this vulnerable child allegedly raped by this adult who is a father of three children. We appeal to Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the National Human Rights Commission to monitor the progress of this matter to ensure that justice is done”, the rights group said in a statement issued shortly its team visited the Kabusa Police station for update on the case.
HURIWA also appealed to the Federal Government, especially the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to liaise with the police so as to facilitate quick medical examination of rape victims because keeping a victim of rape in a police station and then detaining the suspect could create the impression that the alleged victim is being criminalized.
On reaching the police station in Kabusa, the association’s team saw the alleged victim and her poor parents apparently waiting for the Divisional Police Officer (D.P.O) in charge of the station to refer the matter to the state Criminal Investigations Department (CID) within the FCT Command.
“The female police officers handling the matter are determined that the alleged rapist is prosecuted just as we express our gratitude to the Investing Police Officer (IPO) who told us that she wants to ensure that the accused is not allowed to continue in the abominable act of sexually violating teens in their neighbourhood..
“HURIWA noticed that the community members of the alleged offender were in their numbers at the Kabusa police station apparently seeking a negotiated settlement. We are therefore calling on the Police in the FCT Command to take this matter to its logical conclusion”, the statement added.
It further disclosed that the association is in possession of the findings of the ECWA Community Health Initiative which runs ECWA Health Clinic in Kabusa and based on what can be read from the record, dated 22/5/2022 the report affirmed that sperm was found in the teenage girl’s private part, adding that this was confirmed verbally by the female police operatives.
“We interacted with who were not happy that the father of the teenage girl did not report the first incident in which the same accused person was suspected to have raped her but the father said the current case was so brazen because neighbours were the persons that caught the accused rapist raping his daughter.
“HURIWA was also told by the police during the cause of our visit that the police has in its possession photographic evidence of alleged penetration by the accused rapist and that it is awaiting a final copy of the medical examination just as the association is in possession of the laboratory analysis confirming the alleged sexual violations”, the statement stressed.