Benue Petitions Security Agencies over Rape of Teenage Girl

George Okoh in Makurdi

The Benue State Government (BNSG) has petitioned security agencies in the state, through the State Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to investigate an alleged case of rape of a female student of the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Otukpo, Benue State.

It was alleged that a 50-year old man (names withheld) who is also a staff of the institution was suspended for allegedly raping a 16-year-old SSS 3 female student of the school.

We also learnt that the suspect has since been suspended from the institution, following the allegations raised against him over the incident.

Speaking with newsmen in Makurdi yesterday, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Michael Gusa, said government has taken up the matter to ensure that justice is served.

He also explained that the ministry has since written the commissioner of Police as well as the Director, State Security Services (SSS) to investigate and bring the culprit to book.

Gusa said: “There is an online publication in which the author indicated that there was a sexual assault on a female student of FSTC by a staff of the college and the governor directed that I take up the matter with the security agencies for proper investigation, so that the culprit can be brought to justice because it is a threat to female children who are in school.

“For staff of those schools to assault female students, it does not speak well of our society and it doesn’t also speak well of the future of the girl child as such the state government will not fold its arms and watch.

“So in compliance with the directive by the governor, we have written a letter of complaint to the Commissioner of Police and the Director of SSS in the state to carry out a discreet investigation into the matter and verify the veracity of the allegation.

“We want the society to know that government’s attention has been drawn to it and we have taken up the matter to ensure that justice is done in the circumstance,” he stated.

It would be recalled that the allegation of rape was leveled against the suspect, a store officer that was suspended for the alleged rape of the female student last weekend.

According to inside sources, sometime in March, 2021, before the incident that took place in November, other female students had sighted the suspect dropping his victim off in the wee hours of the day.

The students suspected that she must have been having an illicit relationship with the staff and had probably spent the night with him at his official quarters, reported the matter to the school authority.