Soldier’s alleged rape of poly student: Lawyer refutes Oyo State probe claims

AN Ibadan-based legal practitioner, Ola Adeosun, has expressed dismay over a press statement allegedly released to the public by one Festus Adedayo, at about 11:00 am on Monday, September 8, 2014, wherein the Oyo State government stated that investigation had been conducted on the allegation of rape against one of the security men attached to Operation Burst set up by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State to check criminality in the state.

A 23-year-old National Diploma (ND) student of Mass Communication Department, Ibarapa Polytechnic, was allegedly raped under a tree by a soldier in Eruwa on August 29, 2014 while returning to her hostel after seeing off a friend.

But in the said statement, the government stated that investigation had been conducted on the allegation of rape against the soldier and that “the allegation of rape is baseless.”

However reacting to the statement, Adeosun said “claims that investigation had been conducted on the allegation of rape against the soldier whose name, we have found out to be Private Benedict Ignatius, originally attached to 211 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Shaki, Oyo State and that “the allegation of rape is baseless” is a reflection of the mindset of the people currently at the helm of affairs in Oyo State, as the government has shown that it is insensitive, non existent and shameless.”

The lawyer in a letter dated September 9, 2014, argued that the Nigerian Police Force is still investigating the case. He said at about 3.30pm on the same Monday, the victim was invited to the Oyo State Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigerian Police Force at Iyaganku, Ibadan to make further statements to the police on the case and lawyers from the office accompanied her there.

“It was right there in the presence of our client and lawyers from our office that police officers from Eruwa Police Station handed over the case file to special detectives or the Anti Social Behaviour” section of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigerian Police Forces, Iyaganku for further investigation.”

“In view of the above two, the questions that come to mind are; who conducted the phony investigation? What is the motive of the Oyo State Government? Our answers to the above questions are simple; nobody conducted any investigation, the government of Oyo State is only out to prejudice and influence ongoing police investigation, just like they ensured that no investigation was carried out on the death of citizens who were murdered by flood at Apete Community of Ibadan when the government shamelessly announced that nobody died in the flood incident.” “More that any other time, this is the time for all persons of good conscience to join us to demand for justice for this innocent lady as it has now become obvious that the Oyo State government is desperately out to ensure that no investigation is carried out and evidence are destroyed,” he added.

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