Soldiers from the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, attached to the Military checkpoint in Ikare Akoko, in Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State, have allegedly raped a female student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko. (AAUA)
The victim who is a part three student of Department of Religious and African Studies of AAUA, while she was coming back from the campus.
According to a source who is a student of AAUA, but spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the young lady was returning home from school in a commercial bus when the soldiers at the checkpoint ordered her out of the vehicle.
The source who identified one of the soldiers as Lance Corporal Sunday took the lady to their cubicle where she was allegedly ganged raped by the soldiers.
She disclosed that the soldiers were fond of molesting female students of the institution and other ladies who pass through the checkpoint and explained that “we were coming from Akungba in a minibus on Wednesday evening, on getting to the checkpoint, this soldier ( Sunday) looked inside our taxi and pointed to the lady and ordered her to get down. We didn’t know why he did that. When the lady alighted, he took her to their mini-barracks and asked us to leave the scene.
” Out of fear we left the place, hoping that she will be released immediately but she was not released until after one hour later. After that, we discovered that she was serially raped by the soldiers at the checkpoint.”
“Immediately we went to Ikare Police Station to report the incident and rushed her to Ondo State Specialist Hospital, Ikare-Akoko for examination and treatment as I am talking to you, she is at the hospital and doctors confirmed that she was raped.”
According to her ” This is not the first time such a thing will be happening at the soldiers’ checkpoint in the town. The commuters who are mostly students that live in Ikare are often harassed sexually, especially in the evening. The soldiers will be using their hands to press our breasts while inside a cab, in the name of stop and search.”
A police source at the Ikare Police Station, who confirmed that the incident said the incident was reported at the station at about 7.15pm on Wednesday and acted on the information.
He also confirmed that the name of the suspect as Lance Corporal Sunday, as contained in the statement written by the complaint.
” The matter was reported here but I won’t say more on it, when we complete our investigation, it would be sent to the headquarters in Akure,” he stated.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Femi Joseph, however, said he was not aware of the incident.
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Joseph said ” I have not been briefed about the matter, I will have to call the Ikare Division and I will call you back when I get the details,” Joseph said.
Also, the Brigade Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade, Brig. Gen. Zakari Abubakar, when contacted on the matter, denied the allegation and said if there is such complaint, it should be presented at the Brigade Command in Akure for proper action.
Abubakar said it would be difficult for any of his men to be involved in such activities and said of his men found guilty knows the penalty because the military authority does not take it lightly and appealed to the people of the state to assist them in ridding the state of kidnappers and other criminals
Meanwhile, the management of the AAUA has confirmed the development and said an investigation into the matter has begun.
The Head of Media and Protocol Unit of the university, Mr Victor Akinpelumi confirmed that the management of the institution was aware of the incident and had started an investigation into it.
He said, ” The management is aware and the investigation had commenced. The university has set up a panel to look into the matter and we will get back to you.”
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