That would-be rapist/killer in Abia State

TIME and again, we have addressed the increasing descent of the society into a jungle where certain people prey on others, caring only about the satiation of their depraved lusts and taking every step to achieve their ignoble objectives. To such unconscionable individuals, life is all about them and whatever they crave, and other people will either satisfy their demands or come to harm. Cases of felons subjecting innocent people, including children, to grievous harm show no sign of abatement. It is distressing that, in particular,  cases of s3xual violence and the molestation of children are on the rise even with the efforts being made by state and federal agencies and governments to address gender-based violence. Recently, one Chinazum Nwaubani, 33, was arrested by the police for allegedly macheting a 14-year-old girl to coma in Obete Nchina Village of Ntighauzo community in Obingwa Council Area of the state for refusing his s3xual advances! And to make matters worse, the father of the victim, Mr. Chijioke Anaba, alleged that the Eastern Ngwa Police Division demanded the sum of N30,000 from him to “register” the case.

The victim, Felicia Anaba, was said to have gone to fetch firewood with her twin brother at a bush in the village when they were allegedly attacked with a machete by Chinazum, who allegedly attempted to rape her. The child, however, put up a strong resistance, while her frightened and horror-struck twin raced away from the scene in order to call for help. Seeing the unexpected resistance as an affront, the suspect reportedly gave the girl vicious cuts on her head, leg and hand, then left her in a pool of her blood. According to the victim’s father, Chijioke Anaba, his family was immediately alerted to the incident by Felicia’s twin brother, and the victim lost consciousness because of excessive loss of blood. Hear him: “My daughter had fallen into a coma when she was rescued by the search party in the bush. We took her to the hospital and lodged a report with the police at the Eastern Ngwa Division. The police demanded N30,000 to investigate the matter, which I paid. They have arrested the suspect, but from what’s happening, I am afraid that Chinazum may be released from detention to continue his attack and kill my daughter. The police should do their job because the boy is now a risk to the people in the village. The police are saying he is a madman, but it’s not true.” Anaba appealed to the wife of the state governor to come to the aid of his daughter as she was in a critical health condition.

The Abia State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying that it had arrested the 33-year-old suspect in connection with the incident. Said the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka: “While (the children were) at the farm, one Chinazum Nwaubani, aged 33 years and a resident of the same village, allegedly approached them armed with a machete. He reportedly grabbed the female twin, ordered her to lie down and remove her clothes. When she refused, the suspect allegedly attacked her with the machete, inflicting injuries on her head, back and leg.” She, however, refuted the alleged monetary demand by men of the state police command, saying: “We have no such report, as no one has come forward with evidence. This is not a time when anyone can make unverified allegations. Anyone with credible evidence is kindly advised to report to the Complaint Response Unit for proper investigation.”

 It is most unfortunate that innocent young children running errands for their parents were allegedly attacked by a criminally minded and narcissistic adult, and only narrowly escaped a brutal, premature death. Just how do you launch a machete attack on a teenager for resisting rape? Clearly, the suspect saw failure/refusal to abide by his demonic desire as a crime punishable by death and it stands to reason that if the twin brother who ran to inform his parents and members of the community of the ongoing attack had chosen to engage him directly, both he and his sister would by now be dead. How traumatic it must have been for the child watching his sister being attacked with a machete and yet being unable to stop the attack, running away in fear and dread and with the thought that his sister could be killed at any moment! Children, we dare say, should not be exposed to this kind of mindless violence at any time, if only because of the accompanying psychological trauma that can stick with them for the rest of their lives if they do not receive appropriate professional help.

This incident is barbaric, to say the least. As it is, the story has been limited to a case of attempted rape only because of the sheer, largely unexampled bravery of a young girl who chose to die, if need be, rather than be violated. And any talk of attempted murder rather than outright murder is only due to divine providence, as the suspect allegedly left the victim in a pool of her own blood, and the suspect had in fact tried to kill her brother too. We commend the child for her bravery, but we frown on a situation that would expose such horror, and we definitely cannot recommend confronting armed criminals with bare hands! Pray, what is the difference between the suspect in this case and rapist/killer herders? Would the suspect have wanted his own daughter to be treated that way? This incident represents savagery in the extreme and, again, we shudder at the thought that parents can hardly send their children on errands in the neighbourhood. Without doubt, this kind of incident is likely to create fear and apprehension in the community, especially among young boys and girls. 

Regarding the alleged demand for a bribe by the police, the authorities should endeavour to get to the root of the matter. On its part, the Abia State government should ensure that justice is done in this case, and that the victim receives appropriate care. The law should take its course. This case is most unfortunate.

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