15 YEARS OLD JSS STUDENT COMMITS SUICIDE AFTER BEING GANG RAPED IN ABIA ...Cassius Ukwugbe
Comfort Uche-Ume, a 15-year-old JSS Student, living in Abia State, has
committed suicide after she was ganged-raped and her mother scolded her
for it, reports Saturday Punch
Comfort, a native of Amaeke Abam
in Arochukwu LGA of the state, was allegedly raped by three boys;
Ndubuisi Wogu, Chinaza Ufomadu, and Francis Onwoboro now on the run.
The deceased was a JSS 3 student of Isieke Community Secondary School
and had just finished writing the “Junior WEAC” exam. Two of the
culprits hail from Okwoyi village, Isieke community in Umuahia North LGA
of Abia State while the other is from Ikwuano LGA.
Confirming
the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ezekiel Onyeke
said the police had declared the suspected rapists wanted.
Onyeke told Southern City News that the victim who until her death resided at Iyienyi village with
her parents, had gone in the company of her sister who was married at
Okwoyi, a neighbouring village, to see her (sister) husband.
He
said that as evening approached, the deceased opted to return home to
remove the clothes they spread outside to save them from getting wet
from the threatening rain.
But another source said the deceased
decided to return home because she was having the key to their house so
that the parents who travelled would not be stranded upon their return.
The PPRO said that as the deceased was trekking back to Iyienyi village
alone, she was allegedly accosted by Nwogu, who had been making
unsuccessful advances at her.
He said Nwogu, assisted by two
other accomplices, dragged the victim to a nearby bush where they
gang-raped her, threatening to kill her if she raised any alarm.
Police said that when the sister of the deceased returned home, she met
her crying and after enquiries, Comfort narrated her ordeal to her.
Irked by the sexual assault on her sister, she was said to have
informed her husband, who quickly rushed to confront one of the suspects
and engaged him in a free-for-all.
According to the police, the
victim was later brought to Umuahia Central Police Station around 9pm by
her parents to officially report the matter.
Onyeke said after
lodging the complaint, the police first decided to take the victim to
the police clinic for examination and medical attention.
He said
after she was examined and the police wanted to take her statement, but
the parents pleaded that they should be allowed to take her home,
promising to return the next morning since it was getting late so that
they could still get transport home.
The incident, according to him, took place Friday last week.
“But instead of returning as they promised, the parents never showed
up. The mother of the deceased rather decided to scold her over the
incident.
The mother mismanaged the situation. She said to her
‘Have I not warned you not to go to Okwoyi village alone? Now three men
have raped you and if you become pregnant, who will be the father of the
baby?’
“On Tuesday morning, the mother of the victim allegedly
went to her room again and started talking to her. She later invited her
for the family’s morning devotion, but she declined,”
The state
police spokesman pointed out that when the family began to hold their
morning devotion about 20 minutes later, a shout was heard outside the
house and the family members rushed out.
According to him, the initial thinking of family members was that the rapists had come to attack her again.
But that was not to be as they were shocked to their marrows to see the
lifeless body of their daughter, who was reportedly seen leave her room
with a head tie/ veil across her shoulders, dangling on a guava tree
beside their house. She had committed suicide!
Police said the deceased might have decided to take her life out of frustration and possible stigmatisation.
The PPRO, therefore, advised parents and guardians to exercise caution
when “they manage sensitive situations that might come their way,
especially the ones affecting their children or wards.”
He said:
“Parents should avoid stigmatising their children, but treat them with love anytime such unfortunate situation comes up.”
Onyeke also appealed to members of the public with any credible
information about the whereabouts of the alleged rapists to volunteer
same to the nearest police station for prompt action.
Meanwhile, a source at Okwoyi told Punch that the villagers had begun a manhunt for the suspects.
The source said hunters had been mobilised to comb every nook and cranny of the village for their possible arrest.
According to the source, the villagers are not taking the incident
lightly, vowing to stop at nothing in bringing the culprits to book.
“This is an abomination and we will make sure we fish them out of any hole they may have run into,” the source said.
#Source : IGTV
The
State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, Thursday disclosed that the African
Development Bank, ADB, has granted approval for a $200 million facility
for the state to tackle the problem of water, sanitation and roads.
