The Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network has said that the father who sodomised his son and defiled his daughter is mocking the Lagos State Judiciary by still being a free man.
The Co-founder of Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network, Ebenezer Omejalile, made this position known on Wednesday.
Omejalile recounted the challenges encountered and milestones achieved while pursuing and still pursuing justice for the two siblings allegedly defiled by their biological father.
The case, which is now in court after many stumbling blocks, is Commissioner of Police vs Anukwa.
The advocates called for a speedy trial so that the victims will know that justice has been served and will also have closure.
Taking a walk down memory lane, Omejalile recounted that the case started in 2019 with non-prosecution by the Directorate of Public Prosecution, to which several letters were written for reversal because the police neither finished the investigation nor took the statement of the victims.
Also, the Investigating Police Officer allegedly maliciously tampered with the facts sent to the Magistrate Court and subsequently to the DPP.
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Omejalile recollected: “If not for the petition of ACVPN, pointing out all the loopholes and justice fraud in the case, the perpetrator, Godwin Anukwa, who even threw a party after his release, wouldn’t have been walking free if the needful was duly carried out.
“Assistant Superintendent of Police Rebecca Jacob of the Gender Unit Lagos State Police Command Ikeja was the first IPO in this case.
“She vehemently refused to admit exhibits for reasons best known to her.
“Even when police asked that the case should be reopened, she refused.”
The case was eventually transferred by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police from the Gender Unit to the State Intelligence and Investigations Department, Panti, Yaba.
Rebecca Jacob still refused to give a hand over the case file to the SCIID.
Omejalile said the then Deputy Commissioner of Police, who is now the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos State, Fayode Adegoke, was very upset after he instructed the former Officer in charge of Anti-Human Trafficking, SCIID, Margaret Ighodalo, to inform the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja to transfer the case file to SCIID, Jacob refused to comply.
Adegoke had to go to the then Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Akeem Odumosu, to report what he discovered in the Anukwa case.
CP Odumosu then instructed the OC Gender, Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja to transfer the case to SCIID Panti.
Omejalile said: “A new investigation started, and this time, another medical report was issued for all the children in the house, whether boy or girl, because of the exhibits.
“The results came back positive.
“The results that the boy-child and girl-child of the Anukwa have been he has tampered with both the girl and the boy.
“And that both children should continue with their psychological treatment.
“Mr. Anukwa was called several times by the police after the DPP report to prosecute him came out.
“He refused to honour it.
“This report was issued in July 2022 and was not sent to court until the end of 2022 with ID Number/20143c/2022.
“The case was heard first in February 2023.
“The perpetrator came to the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa and was allowed to write an undertaking to be in court on the next hearing because he claimed he was taking exams.
“On the court hearing for his remand, his lawyer brought a letter that he was hospitalised.
“On the next court date, his lawyers filed a bail process that he had both cancer and pneumonia.
“He was granted Administrative bail, with sureties that earn N80 million as monthly salary.
“The sureties must own an estate in Lagos, and they must also provide verified three years Tax Clarence.
“The next court date is 19/2/2024.”
Omejalile is not happy with the DPP, stressing that it was not carrying the ACVPN legal Representative and mothers of the victims along, emphasising that the court has ordered that “we work together as a whole”.
Omejalile said that he was unaware that Anukwa had been able to meet his bail conditions.
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