An 18-year-old student of the Federal College of Animal and Production Technology Moore Plantation, Apata, Ibadan, has been raped and killed in Ibadan.

The teenager, Barakat Bello, who was undertaking the National Diploma programme in Science Laboratory Technology, was reportedly attacked on June 1, 2020.

The development comes days after a first-year student of the University of Benin, Uwa Omozuwa, was raped and killed in a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Edo State.

According to reports, the latest attack on 18-year-old Barakat took place at her home in Akinyele, Ibadan.

Initial reports stated that the corpse was found near the house.

The father of the deceased, Kasimu Elepo, told Sahara Reporters that he was not at home when the incident occurred.

He disclosed that the deceased’s sister was also out of the house at the time the tragic incident occurred.

According to him, the victim’s sister found Barakat’s body at the back of the house in a pool of blood when she returned from Qur’anic lessons.

He said, “I was not at home when the incident happened. The younger sister was not at home too, she went for Qur’anic lessons but when she returned home, she saw her at the back of the house with deep cuts all over her body. She had been raped and killed.

“Somebody called me on the telephone that I should come home but he refused to tell me what happened. When I got home, I saw that my daughter had been raped and stabbed to death.”

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students, Zone D, has demanded justice for the victim, saying that the raping of women must stop.

The deceased, who was a member of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, was buried on Tuesday according to Islamic rites.

The murder of the teenager has sparked protests on Twitter with the #JusticeforBarakat.

UK-based medical doctor, Harvey Olufunmilayo, said the rape ‘epidemic’ must be brought to an end.

He tweeted, “Barakat Bello was alone at home when some men attacked her. She was raped and killed. This was in Ibadan yesterday. She was only 18. Barakat was at home. She is a Muslim hijabi sister. You mad people that come up with excuses for rape, what is the excuse this time?”

Another tweet by @mideglow read, “This is becoming too much!!! We are tired of burying our sisters and friends. We are tired of molestation and rape! Capital punishment should be meted to the perpetrators.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Police Command, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said in a telephone interview with The PUNCH that although the report is trending online, the police could not confirm it at the moment, noting that the incident had not been reported.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the failure of the family of the deceased to report the case for an investigation to be carried out by the police.

“Effort is being intensified to confirm the credibility of the report. At present, the Divisional Police Officers, Oluyole, and Apata divisions were contacted but we found out that the address that was quoted is not correct. When I got the DPOs and I inquired, the two of them said at present, there is no such report in their record.

“It is very funny when some people are too much in a haste to post such things even if it happened truly. I am not saying it happened because our records have not shown that. But, let’s assume it happened, the family is supposed to make an official report; that is another problem.”

The Punch

The Edo State Police Command, on Tuesday, said a suspect arrested in connection with the rape and murder of the 100-level Microbiology student of the University of Benin, Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, was identified through his fingerprint.

The spokesman for the command, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, who disclosed this, said the suspect was arrested following the screening of the fingerprints on the fire extinguisher allegedly used to smash the deceased’s head.

According to Nwabuzor, operatives of the command arrested the suspect after the Area Commander of the Ikpoba Hill Police Station mobilised his men to the scene.

“The item used for the assault, which was a fire extinguisher, was recovered; the operatives, who were with some specialists, screened the fingerprints, which led to the suspect around the scene of the incident and he was arrested,” Nwabuzor stated.

Uwaila was murdered after being raped inside the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Miracle Sanctuary Mega Parish, Edo Province 10, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City on May 27, 2020, where she had gone to study.

Her killing sparked outrage and protests in Benin, Lagos and Abuja, with the hashtag,#JusticeForUwa, trending on the social media since Sunday.

President Muhammadu Buhari on his verified Twitter handle, urged the police to ensure that Uwaila’s killers were brought to justice.

He tweeted, “I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Uwaila Omozuwa. I expect the Nigeria Police Force to speedily and diligently investigate this case and ensure that all the culprits responsible for this barbaric act are brought to justice.”

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, also condemned Uwaila’s rape and killing as well as sexual assault on other women in recent times.

He tweeted, “For far too long women and young girls in our nation have suffered the pain, hurt and stigma of gender-based violence and abuse. Too many have been hurt, intimidated and bullied. Too many have died. Such violence is inexcusable. There is nothing that can defend this wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the immediate transfer of the investigation into Uwaila’s killing from the Edo State Police Command to the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The IG’s directive was sequel to the preliminary report from the team of investigators and forensic experts earlier deployed to assist the state command in the investigation of the incident.

A suspect arrested in connection with the incident is expected to be transferred alongside the case file to the force headquarters.

The Punch

A police officer, Inspector Monday Gabriel, on Sunday shot dead a sergeant, Felix Okago, in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that both policemen were on special duty in a Federal Government facility in Ikoyi when Gabriel reportedly went berserk and started firing indiscriminately and one of the bullets hit Okago.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said in a statement that Okago died from the injuries he sustained during the attack, adding that men of the Bariga Police Division arrested Gabriel in the Akoka area, while he was attempting to escape.

He stated that Gabriel, who presented signs of mental depression after being arrested, was taken to hospital for examination, adding that the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, while commiserating with Okago’s family, ordered an investigation into the incident.

Elkana said, “On Sunday, May 31, 2020, around 4.30pm, the Area ‘A’ Command received a distress call that one Inspector Monday Gabriel attached to the No. 21 Police Mobile Force Squadron in Abuja, while on special duty in a Federal Government facility in Ikoyi, Lagos, went berserk and started shooting indiscriminately.

“One Sergeant Felix Okago, who was on special duty with the inspector, died from the gunshot injuries, while others escaped unhurt.

“In an attempt to escape, Gabriel took a patrol van and headed for the Third Mainland Bridge and was shooting as he was escaping. He was intercepted by policemen from the Bariga Division at Akoka, disarmed and handcuffed. The rifle and  the vehicle were recovered.

“The corpse of the deceased sergeant was deposited in the mortuary for autopsy, while the inspector has been taken to a police hospital for medical examination as he presented signs of mental depression.

“The CP has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of investigation to take over the investigation. The command deeply condoles with the family of our fallen colleague, who paid the supreme price in the service of his fatherland.”

The Punch