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Rape cases surge in Niger State as victims father, authorities call for justice
Rape cases appear to be on the increase in Niger State, with young children of four years being defiled by those who should protect them.
In most cases, the perpetrators escape without being served justice, while most rape cases are not reported to the authorities.
According to reports, some of the few cases reported are often withdrawn due to fear of stigmatization, lack of funds to pursue them, among others.
In response to the surge in rape cases, advocates are urging strict enforcement of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, 2015, a Nigerian law designed to criminalize violence against individuals, including domestic abuse, sexual violence, and harmful traditional practices, and provides protection and remedies for victims in the country.
In an interview with a father from Kontagora, Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State, his four-year-old daughter was defiled by several persons and dumped at a refuse site.
Narrating his ordeal, the father, who spoke anonymously, said the incident occurred in April 2025, when unknown persons sneaked into the family’s compound at night and carried the girl away while they were asleep.
According to the father, his little girl was raped by several men who damaged her organs and dumped her on a refuse dump site.
” As soon as we noticed she was missing, we started searching for her with the help of neighbors in the night for hours. Neighbors discovered my little baby lying helplessly and unable to move on a dump site after the 5 am Muslim prayers.
“When we checked her, we saw blood stains between her legs, and further examination revealed that she had been raped to the point her organs were out. She told us that she was carried away while sleeping by unknown persons to an unfinished building, and after raping, dumped her on a refuse site,” he stated.
The girl was immediately rushed to Kontagora General Hospital, where the management referred her to a hospital in Sokoto State for proper treatment.
With a heavy heart, the father conveyed his daughter to Sokoto through the support of the Kontagora General Hospital and was discharged after two weeks. She is still receiving treatment.
Mary Isah, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in Niger State, expressed concern about the prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) in the state. “GBV is a great menace that needs to be addressed. It causes havoc, splits homes, removes peace from homes, and sends victims into depression,” she said.
The girl was immediately rushed to Kontagora General Hospital, where the management referred her to a hospital in Sokoto State for proper treatment.
With a heavy heart, the father conveyed his daughter to Sokoto through the support of the Kontagora General Hospital and was discharged after two weeks. She is still receiving treatment.
Mary Isah, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in Niger State, expressed concern about the prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) in the state. “GBV is a great menace that needs to be addressed. It causes havoc, splits homes, removes peace from homes, and sends victims into depression,” she said.
According to Isah, GBV affects both males and females, but women and children are more vulnerable. “Out of all the cases reported, more than half are from females, and a small fraction are from males. Probably due to ego, males find it difficult to report,” she explained.
The director urged victims to report cases of GBV to ensure justice is served. “We want everyone to know that you must not die in silence. This is not the era of ‘I’m the man.’ You keep quiet, and the woman will deal with you silently, and then all of a sudden, the ultimate happens,” she said. She also called on relevant stakeholders to join in the fight against the menace and demand justice for victims.
Mrs Rachel Turakin, Director of Social Welfare Services at the Ministry, confirmed that there are many rape cases in the state, especially in Minna. “We are dealing with several rape cases, but we have few convictions so far. Since we started, we have gotten about five convicted cases, although very minimal,” she said.
According to Turakin, about 114 cases are ongoing in various courts, awaiting conviction. “We know eventually they will be convicted, especially in rape cases,” she added.
Confirming the case of the four-year-old from Kontagora, Turaki said, “According to the report, because of the heat, the family was sleeping outside, and some people forcefully picked her up and took her to an unknown place where they raped her, resulting in severe injuries to her organs.”
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed Shitu, assured that the state government is committed to protecting victims of GBV, with a law in place to punish offenders.
“We urge victims of not only rape but any kind of GBV to speak out to ensure justice is served and get support. Just like the parents of the four-year-old did, the State Government ensured she received treatment and will be returning to Sokoto for her second surgery,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary, added that the ministry is using its social area officers to sensitize communities on the need to speak out against GBV to ensure perpetrators are dealt with in the state to reduce it drastically.
News
Constituency projects fund should go to security – Ex-Defense spokesman, Enenche
A former Defense spokesman, Maj-Gen John Enenche (rtd) has said that the money given to lawmakers for constituency projects should go to security instead.
General Enenche made this statement in an interview on ‘Sunday Politics’, a program on Channels Television monitored by Ekwutosblog
He was reacting to the wave of insecurity bedeviling the country where people are being kidnapped, including women and schoolchildren.
“I want to suggest that money given to lawmakers for constituency projects should go to security instead. If you don’t save the constituency, what project will you do there?
“Let’s adopt indigenous homeland security and recruit our youths even someone living with HIV or hepatitis can join the force.
“What I would suggest is that you don’t need special recruitment. You don’t need special screening. Somebody carrying HIV can be part of that force. Somebody carry hepatitis can be part of that force, but they will not even go into the Army. No, they want to live where God has put them,” he said.
News
VIDEO: IT’S ALL FALSE , THERE IS NO SUSPECT IN ANTI-KIDNAPPING UNIT [TIGER BASE] OWERRI THAT HAS STAYED IN CUSTODY FOR MORE THAN 48- HOURS WITHOUT COURT ORDER. — IMO POLICE PPRO RESPONDS TO DETENTION ACCUSATIONS DURING FACILITY INSPECTION BY PRESS MEN.
By Prince Uwalaka Chimaroke
7- DEC- 2025
The Imo State Police Command on Friday, December 5, 2025, opened the doors of its Anti-Kidnapping Unit—widely known as Tiger Base—to an independent inspection team made up of journalists, civil society groups, and human rights advocates, following viral allegations of organ trafficking, torture, unlawful detentions, and the existence of a “slaughterhouse” within the facility.
Acting on the directives of the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, and the Commander of the Unit, ACP Odeyeyiwa Oladimeji, led the fact-finding delegation through all sections of the premises in Owerri. The visit was designed to ensure transparency and address public concerns generated by several sensational online reports.
Throughout the tour, the delegation inspected operational areas, observed procedures, and engaged directly with officers. In one corner of the compound, the team sighted carved wooden images previously misrepresented on social media as ritual objects or a shrine. Police authorities explained that these carvings—made of wood, iron, and cement—were exhibits recovered from hideouts linked to suspected IPOB/ESN operatives and kidnapping gangs across Imo State. According to ACP Oladimeji, the criminals believed the objects held mystical powers, and the police retained them as evidence for ongoing investigations.
The visitors also interacted with several detainees, including individuals suspected of involvement in kidnapping and other violent crimes. Many of them openly admitted to the offences for which they were arrested and confirmed that they were being fed properly while awaiting their scheduled court processes.
Another item inspected was an ash-coloured Highlander Jeep with plate number LSD 413 JJ. The vehicle, stained with blood, belonged to a woman recently shot dead by masked gunmen at Umuekerekpu Ndegwu in Owerri West LGA. A surviving occupant of the vehicle narrated to reporters how their employer was fatally shot in the head, while both he and another passenger sustained gunshot injuries and were currently receiving medical treatment in Owerri.
At the end of the assessment, members of the visiting delegation unanimously stated that none of the frightening claims circulating online—ranging from organ harvesting to the existence of an abattoir—were visible or supported by what they witnessed.
DSP Okoye emphasized that Tiger Base is a legitimate tactical formation of the Nigeria Police Force tasked with confronting kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, terror-related activities, and other serious crimes. He disclosed that the facility is fitted with CCTV cameras linked directly to the office of the Commissioner of Police, enabling round-the-clock monitoring for accountability.
He reiterated that the allegations trending on social media were malicious distortions aimed at misleading the public. The human skulls displayed earlier in 2025, he clarified, were exhibits recovered from criminal hideouts—not evidence of ritual practices, as some had falsely claimed.
ACP Oladimeji further noted that the unit handles only high-profile criminal cases and operates newly commissioned charge rooms and tactical units dedicated to strengthening security across Imo State. The team also observed dozens of seized motorcycles, which the police said were confiscated in compliance with the Imo State Government’s ban on motorcycle operations within the Owerri metropolis under the Shared Prosperity Administration.
The inspection team applauded the Police Command for permitting unrestricted access to Tiger Base and underscored the importance of ongoing cooperation between security institutions, the media, and civic groups to maintain public trust and enhance safety across the state.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17dLVCsxG8/?mibextid=wwXIfr
News
TENSION IN ABIA COMMUNITY AS POLICE PROBE MURDER OF MISSING 25-YEAR OLD YOUTH WHO’S BODY WAS FOUND HEADLESS, SIX ARRESTED.
By Prince Uwalaka Chimaroke
7- DEC- 2025
A cloud of sorrow and outrage has settled over Amangwo Umuigu in Oboro, Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, after the decomposing, headless remains of 25-year-old Solomon Ikoku were discovered weeks after his disappearance. Ikoku, who went missing on September 27, 2025, was reportedly abducted during the community’s New Yam Festival in a violent early-morning raid.
Residents recounted that armed men—believed to be members of a controversial vigilante outfit—stormed the family home at about 5 a.m., assaulting the young man before dragging him away. After weeks of unanswered questions and failed searches, community youths launched a coordinated hunt on October 27, which led to the tragic discovery of Solomon’s remains in a shallow waterway on the outskirts of the village. His leg and other body parts were later found scattered in nearby bushes, deepening the community’s grief.
Members of the search team described the scene as horrifying. One volunteer, who spoke anonymously, said the discovery of Ikoku’s bones and the clothes he wore on the morning of his disappearance left them heartbroken.
The incident has triggered widespread anger, with many residents pointing accusations at the village’s disbanded vigilante group, allegedly loyal to the community’s traditional ruler, Eze Larry Agwu. Critics claim the group operated with impunity and may have been responsible for the abduction and brutal killing.
However, Eze Agwu has firmly rejected the allegations, calling them politically motivated falsehoods linked to an ongoing kingship dispute within the community. According to him, the vigilante group acted independently and had been inaugurated years earlier by village authorities and security agencies. He insisted he neither ordered nor endorsed any attack on the late Ikoku.
The monarch further explained that he was informed by the group that the victim’s sister had allegedly sought their help after the young man threatened their mother—an account strongly disputed by Ikoku’s family. The deceased’s brother, Victor, accused the vigilantes of premeditated violence, alleging that his brother’s body was burnt and mutilated, and insisting that no family member invited the group on the night of the incident.
Adding to the controversy, the community chairman, Munachi Onwuchekwa, accused the king of enabling the vigilante group even after the wider community had dissolved it four years earlier due to misconduct. He stated that the group continued to operate under the monarch’s patronage, despite repeated complaints.
As tensions rise, the Abia State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of six suspects linked to the vigilante group, while others remain at large. Among those implicated are Alozie Eluwa, Stanley Okutuo, Godwin Kanu, Maduabuchi Enyinnaya, Godwin Sampson, Emeka Nwagboso, Ikechi Hope, and several others still being sought by authorities.
Police spokesperson Maureen Chinaka called for calm and urged residents to allow the investigative process to proceed without interference. She emphasized that a meticulous probe was necessary given the gravity of the crime, assuring the community that justice would be pursued diligently.
The investigation continues as the community grapples with shock, fear, and calls for accountability following the gruesome killing.
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