An Effurun-based Human Rights lawyer, Emmanuel Ekpuda has petitioned the Nigerian Police Ekpan Division to apprehend and charge a Corporal attached to 3 Battalion Effurun for allegedly raping a 9-year-old girl, (name withheld).

In the petition, the lawyer said, sometime in May 2003 while the parents of the girl were in their farm, they were not aware when the accused soldier grabbed the girl, molested her and beat her up warning her not to tell her parents or anyone.

When the mother later noticed that something was wrong with her daughter, she examined her “only to discover that someone had been molesting her and after much persuasion, the girl opened up that a soldier had been raping her without their knowledge”.

According to the petition, “after reporting the soldier at the barracks, the girl was taken for medical checkup where it was confirmed that she had been molested and abused. The father of the victim was later locked up in Army custody for several days. On hearing all this, Mrs Aliubaba, the mother of the girl who was seven months pregnant, lost her pregnancy due to the trauma.

“When the medical doctor at the barrack, one Capt Harumin confirmed the molestation, the victim’s father was then released from the Army custody.

“The parents of the victim want justice to be done in the case by apprehending the accused and allow the law to take its course”. The lawyer revealed that the court bailiff who was sent to serve court processes on Army authorities were chased away by the military at the gate of the barrack. He lamented that all efforts to get the suspect apprehended have been rebuffed by the authorities of 3 Battallion.

(Text, excluding headline: Saturday Vanguard)