Shock And Outrage Over Rape And Murder of Nigerian Student In Local Church
Written by Heartsong Live on 3rd June 2020
There has been wide-spread outrage on social media over the death of Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, 22-year-old first-year microbiology student of the University of Benin, Edo State Nigeria. The incident occurred last Wednesday, while she was studying at her local church.
According to local reports, a group of men entered the church, raped Uwa (as she was called) and then attacked her with a fire extinguisher. She was later found by the church’s security guard, in a pool of blood. She was then rushed to hospital but her injuries proved fatal and she tragically died on Saturday afternoon.
A police investigation was launched amidst nation-wide protests and calls from public figures and government officials demanding a thorough inquiry.
The father of the deceased stated: “It was not a mistake; it was not a fault; it was not stubbornness for her to go to the church to study. She had been going there for several years. She struggled for five years before she gained admission into UNIBEN. I was waiting to celebrate her admission before she died.”
Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the global head of the Redeemed Christian Church of God RCCG), the denomination of the church where she was killed, said: “All I can do at this time is to pray for the family of Omozuwa and do everything possible working with relevant authorities to bring the perpetrators to book.”
The hashtag #Justiceforuwa has been trending on all social media platforms.
Reports have indicated that one suspect in the case has been arrested by The Edo State Police Command after discovering fingerprints on the fire extinguisher used in the crime. The Inspector-General of Police also confirmed that resources to aid and speed up the investigation had been deployed to Edo state.
A national survey conducted in 2014 reveals that one in four women reported experiencing sexual violence during childhood. Of this astonishing number, only a handful ever sought help possibly due to societal stigma and perhaps, more importantly, the shortcomings of the Nigerian Justice system
Though the year 2019 saw the launch of Nigeria’s first sex offender register, activists are of the opinion that this is just a first step in the long process of ensuring survivors get the justice they rightly deserve, but have till date been repeatedly denied
