HURIWA demands justice over sexual violation of 12 years old

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded justice over the sexual violation of a 12 years old girl in Abuja.

HURIWA stated it had visited the Kabusa Police Station –an outskirts of Abuja metropolitan area to ascertain the progress of the investigative activities of the Nigeria Police of the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl, simply identified as Precious by their 54 years old neighbour, a father of three children, called Ikemba.

On reaching the police station in Kabusa, HURIWA saw the alleged victim of rape and her poor parents waiting for the DPO of Kabusa Police Station, to refer the matter to the state criminal investigations Department within the Federal Capital Territory Command.

HURIWA ascertained that the victim had been at the police station since Saturday and that the matter was reported till Monday when the human rights group visited.

The National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said: “The police officers told HURIWA that the victim was kept so as to obtain a medical report because according to the Investigating Police Officer, the police did not want the evidence of the alleged rape to be tampered with if the parents were allowed to go home with her, but we at HURIWA hereby appeal 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. HURIWA deciphered that the women police handling the matter were determined that the alleged rapist would be prosecuted just as we expressed our gratitude to the IPO who told us that she wanted to ensure that the accused was not allowed to continue in the abominable act of sexually violating teens in their neighbourhood. HURIWA hopes that the Police will under no circumstances compromise this matter of serious sexual violations of a 12 years old girl by a man old enough to be her grandfather. HURIWA noticed that the community members of the alleged offender were in their numbers at the Kabusa Police Station, apparently seeking a negotiated settlement.  HURIWA is therefore calling on the Police in the FCT Command to take this matter to its logical conclusion.”

According to a medical record sighted by HURWA, dated May 22, 2022, the report affirmed that sperm was found in the teenage girl’s private part, and this was confirmed verbally by the female police operatives HURIWA interacted with at the station.

HURIWA said that the policewomen investigating the matter were not happy that the victim’s father did not report a previous incident, in which the same accused person was suspected to have raped her.

The victim’s father reportedly said that 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 group’s visit, that the police had in its possession, photographic evidence of alleged penetration by the accused rapist. HURIWA is also in possession of the laboratory analysis confirming the alleged sexual violations.

Onwubiko said: “We urge the FCT Police Commissioner to ensure that justice is done concerning this vulnerable child allegedly raped by this adult who is a father of three children. We appeal to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the National Human Rights Commission to monitor the progress of this matter to ensure that justice is done.”