Tension
mounts in Opi, Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State as masquerades
took turn in the series of rape stories synonymous with the community.
The alleged rape of a female student, Ngozika Ugwu, presented mixed
feelings and reactions to what may have bedevilled the community in the
recent past.
Rape
stories in Opi, a community in the university town of Nsukka, have
occupied major national dailies, hitting banner headlines, from the
three quarters that make up the community, Idi, Ogbozalla and Ibeku.
In
2011, the story of the rape of women between 70 and 80 years spread
like wild fire in the country, raising eyebrows on the motive for such
inhuman and barbaric act by, especially, youths of the community. Some
of them were fingered and allegedly arrested, interrogated by the
police but could not be persecuted because of want of evidence.
The masquerade
Following
this development, Ada Enugu Women Organisation led by Mrs. Kate
Ezeofor stormed the community for a church service at St. Charles
Catholic Church parish, Opi to cleanse the land and the old women that
were defiled.
Few
months later, Opi women took to the streets in protest of yet another
rape at Ogbozalla–Opi. The protest attracted the quick intervention of
the Chairman, Nsukka Local Government Council, Mr. Tony Ugwu who invited
all the stakeholders in the community to discuss the ugly development
and proffer solutions. Though it was later discovered that the protest
had political undertone, the council boss brokered peace to the
satisfaction of all.
Barely
few months of enjoying peace in the area, masquerades took turn in the
series of rape stories in the community by defiling a 28-year-old
undergraduate nursing mother. The victim told Crime Alert in tears that
the trauma of the rape will forever live with her but stated that she
had forgiven the rapists.
While
narrating her ordeal, she appealed to local, state and federal
governments to ensure that truth prevails in this country by fighting
for the poor masses. Ngozi, who dropped out from her NCE programme at
the Enugu State College of Education (Technical)due to lack of funds
after her ordeal, called on concerned Nigerians to come to her aid to
enable her go back to school.
She
also hinted that the release of one of the suspects on the flimsy
excuse that he was going to write his JAMB examination was not
encouraging, attributing it to the fact that her family is poor and
helpless.
Her story:
It
happened on March 21, 2012. There were three masquerades that day but
two were spotted and people started running. I was going to fetch water
and as people were running, I equally ran and hid somewhere until the
two masquerades passed. After the masquerades passed, I came out and
continued with my journey. Soon, I heard a child saying that another
masquerade was coming. I didn’t see the masquerade but people were
running and I ran to enter into someone’s house.
The
masquerade emerged from a corner (apiam way) and pushed me into the
building where I was running to. I tried to escape but could not. It
caught up with me and started beating me. What surprised me was that the
masquerade said it has been looking for me for long and had now caught
up with me. I sought to know what I did to deserve such treatment and at
the same time pleading for forgiveness but it continued with its
threat.
This
time, it swore to take me to a bigger masquerade inside the forest,
saying it has been long I had been insulting them. My cries for help and
that I was a nursing a baby fell on deaf ears. As the masquerade was
dragging me along, a man with wrapper came and pleaded with the
masquerade to leave me but it refused, saying that I have insulted them
for too long. It insisted on taking me to the bigger masquerade which
will compel my clan to bring a cow as sacrifice.
All
my pleadings with the man who came to my rescue failed. The masquerade
dragged me to a bush path,threw me on the ground fell on me. It held me
on the neck to prevent me from shouting and blocked both my eyes and
nose. At this stage, I nearly lost consciousness until one man came and
rescued me from its grip. He removed the face of the masquerade and
that was how he was identified. As soon as he was identified, he ran
away.
More
people gathered there and helped to take me where I was given first aid
treatment at a chemist before I was taken to St. Joseph Hospital, Opi. I
didn’t know when I was taken to the hospital. When I started gaining
consciousness, I did not see my pant and my bra was torn. It was then I
realised that the masquerade raped me. Fear gripped me that the
masquerade may have transmitted HIV/AIDS into me.
Doctor’s report altered
We
went to Nsukka police station and reported the incident. I was
surprised that police did not come to the scene of the incident to
investigate my claims. What the police did was to take me to a police
doctor, Mercy Clinic along University Market Road, Nsukka. It is
surprising that a doctor will give evidence against me in a case of rape
I reported. Later, police invited me to their office for interrogation.
The victim, Ngozie Ugwu
When
I tried to give details of what happened, they shouted that I should
shut up and go straight to speak on the doctor’s findings on the case.
Surprisingly, the Police asked me to write a letter of apology claiming
that the doctor’s report said I was not raped. I did not read the report
nor see it. I was forced to write an apology by the police.
While
all these were happening, no police officer came to the hospital to
take my statement. All the time, nurses would remove drips from my hand
so that I would go to the police station to honour their invitation. The
masquerade was allegedly arrested and hurriedly released on the flimsy
excuse that he was going to write JAMB exams.
Pleas for forgiveness
While
I was still recuperating, the mother of the suspected person in the
masquerade came and pleaded that his son should be forgiven. I told his
mother that I have forgiven him. What annoyed me most was that some of
his relations which included a policeman that works in Enugu, returned
home and instead of sympathizing with me, they took sides in favor of
their brother. At a stage, I was forced to go to the police station to
close the case.
No refund of expenditure
The
police said that I should not be paid what my family spent in the case
and that the family of the suspect should only pay for my hospital bill.
The rapist family paid the hospital bill grudgingly. Later, the police
invited us again and this time, they asked me to write that I was not
raped and I was forced to write that I was not raped. The boy who raped
me gave police his name as Asogwa Ifeanyi but people who knew him said,
his real names are Ugwunshi Ifeanyi.
The
police did not also make efforts to invite the witness in the case
while the investigation was going on rather, after they concluded that I
was not raped, they tried to invite him but he ignored them.
My Education
I
dropped out from Enugu state college of education (Technical) due to
lack of fund. I was a second year student when I dropped. I entered the
tertiary institution in 2007/2008 session. For now, it is very
difficult to continue with my education after all I have gone through.
My father is a mason (Brick layer) at Uzo-Uwani L.G.A, Enugu State. We
are five children born to my father and mother.
I am the only daughter.....
Police
reacts when Crime Alert visited Nsukka Police station, it was gathered
that the incumbent Divisional police officer had not assumed office when
the matter was incidented but a senior police officer who pleaded
anonymity disclosed that a case of assault, occasioning harm was
reported at the station but not rape as claimed by the lady stating that
the people of the area are very troublesome. “Any small thing in the
area, they will term it rape and rush to the press. You can trace the
lady to Opi and find out from her, all that was reported is a case of
assault occasioning harm.”
Police Doctor speaks
The
police doctor, Dr. Ugwu who reportedly examined Ngozika told Crime
Alert that he can’t remember such a matter any longer. “I meet different
cases and patients on daily basis. Give me sometime to get across to
the police to find out the very incident”.
Elders action
Investigations
by Crime Alert revealed that the elders in the community, on hearing
the rape story, took action by banning masquerades from operating in the
area regretting that youths cashed on masquerade which are meant for
entertainment to perpetuate all sorts of evil, painting the community in
a bad public image. They also reportedly resolved that the family of
the masquerade rapist must bring a cow to cleanse the land, or else they
will be ostracized.
Vanguard Nigeria