President of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Youthwing, Comrade Efemena Umukoro, has said that the youth body is determined to seek justice for little Miss Elo John, aged 7, who was raped by a man of over 40 years in Ughelli area of Delta state.
Umukoro, accompanied by the group’s Secretary, Director of Protocols and Publicity Secretary, Barr. Harry Ehaoma, General Hitler and Prince Ukuanovwe Godstime, swung into action when they learnt that the IPO was allegedly trying to coerse the family of the victim to accept money and allow the case to be swept under the carpet.
According to Comrade Umukoro, “we visited Ughelli town on a fact finding mission and to interface on the issue of little Miss Elo who was earlier reported to the leadership of UPU youthwing having been raped by a certain man in his mid-forties in Ughelli town.”
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He added: “The leadership of UPU youthwing having received the report of the rape incidence decided to initially watch from a distance while the police carry out their professional job. However, the trust of this leadership was dashed when allegations of complicity were leveled against the Investigation Police Officer (IPO) in charge of the case.
“It was reported that the IPO was conniving with the rapist to intimidate the family of little Miss Elo by telling them that they cannot pursue the case because they do not have money and thus compelling them to accept a token of One Hundred Thousand Naira and forget the case so that the rapist could go free after carrying out such act of raping and defiling little Elo.
“By the refusal of the family of little Miss Elo to accept their financial offers, the IPO in connivance with the alleged rapist resorted to other dubious means to jump the arm of the law thereby going ahead to amend the charges while taking the rapist to court.
“It was at this point that the family of Elo alerted the leadership of UPU youthwing of the development. We were also told that they were at the point of setting free the rapist. But, our leadership immediately swung into action by contacting the magistrate at Ughelli and to God be the glory the rapist who was about to be set free was remanded.
“It was based on that success that this leadership led a four man delegation to Ughelli to interface both the family and the 2ic Area commander, Ebi Orubiri.
According to him, Ebi Orubiri scolded and cautioned the IPO and decided to take over the case, as he appealed to the leadership of the youth body to do the needful.
Umukoro continued: “As Urhobo youths we frown at any form of sexual harassment and rape. It is on that premise and the love for humanity that we shall pursue justice by all cost for little Miss Elo to serve as deterrent to perpetrators of crimes of this nature.”
He added that both the medical bills for Elo and the court case will be bankrolled by the youth body.
Meanwhile, cash in the sum of Fifty Thousand Naira was presented to the victim’s mother to assist her in upgrading her business.
Our reporter also gathered that the leadership of the UPU youthwing placed a call to the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Hafiz Inuwa, who in his wisdom ordered that the case be taking to the police headquarters in Asaba.
At the time of filing this report, the result of the medical test conducted on the victim by Dr. Christopher of the Ughelli General Hospital may be a clue to prove that Elo John was raped as she tested positive for HBsAg (Hepatitis B surface antigen).
