The Abia State Police command has explained why it suspended investigations into the gang rape that happened in its Abia State University. The state police command said the girl-victim consented to the rape.
An online website monitoring the case yesterday reported that commenting on a DVD tape sent to his CP to expedite investigations into the activities of the criminal gang, J.G. Micloth, the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Abia State Police command Criminal Investigation Department said the lady had consented to the gang crime.
He was quoted as saying that after watching the DVD, he said he did not see the young lady resist the rape.
On Thursday, 300 women from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, were stopped by the Abia State police command from protesting in Umuahia, the state capital, against the controversial gang-rape alleged to have taken place at the state university, Uturu.
In Umuahia, the women, who said they came under the umbrella of civil society groups in the South-East and Igbo Women Organizations, urged the government and police to conduct deeper investigation into the ugly incident.
The police stoppage of the Abia walk happened on a day Abia State police command announced N500, 000 reward to anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators or identification of the rape victim.
A statement by the command's spokesman, ASP Geoffrey Ogbonna, said: "The command in its usual manner of protecting informants' identity, assures utmost secrecy in this regard while a handsome reward of N500,000 awaits any one with useful information."
The women, who came into Umuahia with two big buses, were stopped close to Government House by the Divisional Police Officer of Umuahia and diverted to the Central Police Station. However, last week the Assistant Commissioner of Police head said the Police cannot go on with the investigation because "they cannot tell who the suspects are 'from the legs' in the video, amongst 70 million males in Nigeria".
Mr Micloth yesterday said gang rape is often videoed as a tool by under-graduate boys to rubbish the self esteem of snobbish girls. He said even if the lady had not consented, he figured that she was a girlfriend to one of the cultists and must have probably cheated on him and when queried 'insulted' the boy hence he probably assembled a gang to teach her the lesson of her life, the website said.
It would be recalled that some students who are now known in the media circle as Uchenna, Wisdom, Zaki, Chisom and Ifeanyi -- all believed to be students of Abia State University gang raped a young lady sometime in August this year, recorded it on video and circulated the dastardly act on youtube three weeks ago.
Mr Micloth who claimed to be heading the Police investigating team said 'Several visits have been made to ABSU. Police have consulted the VC and checked the University records. Searches have been conducted and still on going in students Lodges.
Maranatha Lodge and Duperville Lodges have been checked room to room. Unfortunately no such names cited in the internet and press live there.
None also in the University records' the website, elombah.com had "revealed the gang rape assailants as Ifeanyi Justin Ogu, Jonah Uche, Zaki and Winston Okoye Chinonso."
In the rape video, which lasted well over an hour, the girl could be seen trying to fight off the men. When her efforts proved abortive amidst beatings, she resorted to pleading with them to spare her; but her pleas fell on deaf ears. And when she could not take the excruciating pain any longer, she begged them to kill her, instead of letting her live with the stigma our society would pile on top of her already horrendous trauma. As she pleaded with them, the boys laughed and mocked her, asking her to 'co-operate' or face two more days of torture by rape.
The incident, which is believed to have occured in Abia State sparked outrage nationwide.
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oh God save our dear country from all these predicaments.
Nigeria Police in Abia State were not helping matters. To say because the girl did not resist the rape, it is not the matter. She was her life was threaten and any resistant will end her life, she was even begging that they should not kill her. Our Police are complicating matters. Suspended investigations on the gang rape is wicked. It seems to me there is foul play by the Government in order save her name. This case is in the internet being watched by the whole world, against the Abia people. And the worse the boys were speaking Igbo language. The Government has a duty to protect the people she represent, please. It is a shame to the Abia people. God will fight for the girl, the boys will never experience peace and will never progress in life, except if they will seek a forgiveness from the affect girl. The boys will live to experience that, this is the word of the Lord.
I'm really fed up with the style of journalism in Nigeria. It was reported some weeks back that two out of five culprits have been arrested but it was being reported now that the state Police said they did not have a lead to any arrest of those criminals. It further said they could not identify the culprit with only their legs shown on the video. Besides, it was initially reported that the criminals used black tapes to cover their face while thier crime was being perpetrated. What manner of country is this. Who do we believe and trust?
The same argument was made in President Zuma's rape trial. I wasn't aware of a required behavioural response when being raped and as men are raped so often they would of course know what that should be. This reinforces the message that when men violate women they won't be prosecuted.
Dear Editor, This ABSU gang-rape matter is exposing a lot and I believe that God will use it to destroy many demonic elements. The top hierarchy of Abia State Police Command and the CID arm should be placed on immediate suspension. This will enable a thorough and unbiased investigation of the matter.I don't know which is more heinous, the gang-rape itself or the fact that the Police,through that fellow with the funny name, Micloth, is trying to explain it away and even justify it.It actually means that the Abia Police already knows the accomplices and are shielding them. Secondly, the least that the Police should have done is to allow those protesters to have their way and even offer them protection What is Mrs Odochi Orji, the Governor's wife doing?What is the first lady waiting for? At least she has maternal links to Umuahia.One woman defiled is every womwn defiled.
How on earth would some one claim that this girl consented to rape?How did this hare brain become a Police officer?Can he guarantee that there wasn't some one pointing a gun at the girl out of range of Camera?
I also call for a Judicial Commission of inquiry into activities at ABSU.Lets find out how rotten the university society is.Why did they deny that such a thing happened there? The Army and Navy should be mandated to provide Security on Campus during and after this inquiry.That victim of the rape should be protected and given psychiatric and psychological evaluation after which she should be closely questioned to unearth theidentity of those culprits.
Finally, you may escape man's anger but will you escape God's wrath. These people are bringing generational curses upon themselves. Let all those curses listed in Jeremiah be upon them and upon their generations unborn and upon any one that will want to help them escape justice and upon any one who knows their videntity and their crime and refuses to report them to the law. At least talk to the Press who will protect your identity. AMEN Thank you. Chiko Nwosu
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