Group Demands Justice For Rape Victim

Human Rights groups in Nigeria are urging the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti to act swiftly to arrest a suspected male rapist and ritualist identified as Michael who allegedly lured a 17 -year-old girl Ada Nba Agbazue to an uncompleted building in Lagos  and attempted to rape and kill her for ritual purpose. 

Agbazue who escaped from the 18 storey building by jumping from the 4th floor is lying critically ill with casts on her legs and hand. This is however not going down with Human Rights groups in the country as they want the police to act to arrest the fleeing suspect.

African for Human Rights International, one of the Rights groups that spoke with our correspondent urged the police to do their job.

Afolabi Gbajumo,the President/Lead Activist said his organization will rally support for Agbazue to get justice.

“What is the police saying that the girl is not assisting them with their investigation? She has provided useful information about the suspect and the place the crime took place. Are the police not acting to arrest the suspect because some powerful people are behind this? We are going to work with the family of the girl. We will support her to get justice. We will petition the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, in the same vein call a press conference so that this matter can receive the attention it deserves. That man who lured her there is still on the loose and the police have the obligation to arrest him and other members of his gang. What if the girl had died will that be the end of the case? So when they say she is not cooperating I don’t seem to understand and that is why I said maybe some powerful people are involved in this crime and the police don’t want to investigate”
Project Alert, a nonprofit organization promoting the rights of Women and Girls also condemns the police for treating a case of attempted rape and ritual murder with disdain.

Ijeoma, a staff with Project Alert said the group is aware of Agbazue’s plight and is prepared to help get justice for her. Another staff of Project Alert who does not want her name in print as she said she is not authorized to speak to the media said the police will save a lot of women and girls from the gang if they arrest the suspect.
She said “Our madam,Mrs Josephine Chukwuma is not in the country but the office is aware of the case. A crime has been committed and the police must act and act fast. Is it because the girl cannot give them money to conduct investigation? But this is a case the police can end up arresting rapists and kidnappers that are threat to women and girls and the society at large”. She said
Also reacting to the plight of Agbazue , Barrister Chima Obi Adiele, a Human Rights lawyer urged the government to protect residents living around abandoned building as he stated that abandoned and uncompleted building can pose a great danger to the community.

“The police are liable to comprehensively investigate a case that comes to them. For them to say that the lady is not cooperating portends lack of seriousness on the part of the police. Their duty is to protect lives and property and they are bound to investigate and find out who is behind this crime. There is a facebook account and phone numbers she mentioned, the police should liaise with the network to track the suspect. I don’t know what the policies of the government are on abandoned buildings but they should put up surveillances where any uncompleted and abandoned buildings are in the country. The police should go further to protect the people living in those areas so that they don’t fall victims to criminals using such buildings as hideouts”


Also, Barrister Chuwudi Anyanwocha, another Human Rights lawyer flayed the police for playing down the attack on Agbazue

Barrister Anyawocha said “Once you have made a report to the police, it is the duty of the police to investigate. What do the police mean that the girl is not cooperating? The girl has given them all they need and they are concluding that they don’t believe her. It is after they have investigated that they can say that what she is saying is a lie? Parents of the girl can petition the police high command over the failure of the police station to investigate the case