The Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has called for the immediate prosecution of the soldiers who allegedly gang-raped a 300-level student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, AAUA.
According to Akeredolu in a statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for Information on Saturday and made available to DAILY POST, the governor emphasized that the soldiers who violated their service code should be made to face the full wrath of the law in order to serve as deterrent to others.
Recall that a 300-level AAUA student was allegedly gang-raped by some soldiers stationed at a checkpoint in Ikare-Akoko, the headquarters of the Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Wednesday’s evening.
DAILY POST had reported how the victim from the Department of Religious and African Studies of the university was allegedly ordered by one of the soldiers identified as a Lance Corporal Sunday to get down from a commercial mini-bus she was travelling in from campus to Ikare-Akoko.
Meanwhile, the soldiers were confirmed to have been arrested on Friday by the Brigade Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Akure, Ondo State, Brig. Gen. Abubakar Zakari.
While commending Brig. Gen. Zakari for fishing out the culprits, Akeredolu assured that his administration will not condone such act, particularly from those he stated should be upholding the law.
“The Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN has urged the authorities of the Nigerian Army to immediately hand over to the Police for urgent prosecution, the soldiers arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a University student at the Akungba-Ikare military checkpoint.
“Mr. Governor particularly finds the alleged offence callous, mindless and heartaching that it was said to have been committed by soldiers whose presence ought to be a succour to the people, especially the vulnerable, in the face of the heightening wave of violence and insecurity in the country.
“It should be noted that the Government of Ondo State under Arakunrin Akeredolu, SAN shall do all within its powers to fight this bizzare menace of rape in the State. Rapists, or those who wish to traverse this ignobly desecrating path will find Ondo State too hot as a refuge for such nefarious act. Government shall be firm and decisive, the Governor says.
“The Governor describes as heart-warming, the arrest of the alleged perpetrators of this case involving the soldiers at the Akungba-Ikare checkpoint. This is even as he salutes the swiftness of the Brigade Commander who ensured the seamless apprehension of those allegedly involved.
“Reassuring as this effort appears, Governor Akeredolu is unequivocal and unwavering in his insistence that the suspects be handed over to the Nigeria Police for immediate prosecution. The full weight of the law must be tested in this particular case to serve as a deterrent to others who seek to undesirably, take advantage of the unprotected,” the statement read.
