A non-governmental organisation, Women Aid Collective (WACOL), said it has commenced intervention on a defilement case involving a 12-year-old girl (name withheld), in Enugu state, even as it condemned the rising impunity of sexual violence, especially against minors.

A statement signed by the Group’s Communication Officer, Egodi Igwe, said the incident which happened at Egede, in Udi LGA of the State, was widely reported on the social media, adding that its “hotlines were inundated with calls from concerned citizens requesting us to take action.”

Explaining further, the statement said: “It could be recalled that on March 9, 2020, a 12 year-old girl in primary 3 was brought to the hospital by a school proprietor, accompanied by an officer from Egede Police division, a nursing mother who claimed to be the little girl’s sister from Ntezi in Abakaliki, as well as a 46yr old man who feigned knowledge of the rapist.

“The victim was bleeding from the vagina at the time. Information available revealed that this little girl from Abakaliki was brought as helper to live with a grandmother in Egede community.

“Unfortunately, one of the sons of this old lady Mr. Ifeanyi Ukwuani, who is married with two children, visited the village to specifically defile and sexually violate this little girl. He also threatened to kill her if she speaks out.

“She was brought to the hospital by the wife and a brother of the rapist, but they lied about their identity, with the rapist’s wife claiming to be the girl’s sister.

“The nursing mother told the doctors to hasten the treatment to enable her take her sister home. Unfortunately, for them, truth emerged when the victim opened up and refuted the woman’s story, denying any relationship with the woman.

“According to her, contrary to the woman’s assertion, the woman’s husband was the one who sexually abused her, at his Egede home and threatened her to either remain silence or face a dire consequence.

“While they were at the hospital, the matter was reported to the Police. When Police arrived at the hospital, the nursing mother and wife to the perpetrator, left with her cohorts, while Police took his senior brother for interrogation. He was later released,” the statement revealed

The group said that “as an organization saddled with a responsibility of defending the rights of women and children by fighting violence against women, we are taking a holistic action to ensure first that the victim gets immediate medical and material assistance; and secondly that justice is done and the perpetrator held to account for this heinous crime and ultimate betrayal of a girl entrusted in their care,” adding, ”WACOL will not relent to ensure that the perpetrator faces the full wrath of the law.”

It also noted, it has contacted the National Agency for Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to investigate the aspect of trafficking in the case.

“At the moment, we are primarily focusing on the wellbeing of the young girl, supporting treatment and counseling to aid her recovery from the pain and trauma inflicted on her as a result of this sad incident.

“She is still receiving a comprehensive treatment at an undisclosed hospital (for privacy and her safety) in Enugu and we are taking full responsibility for the treatment and other welfare support. We have a good understanding with the hospital management regarding this, so we are pleased to say that, she is responding well to treatment, although she is still visibly traumatized.

“Our team is also following up with the 9thMile police division and have already sent a petition to the state CID to investigate the matter accordingly and to ensure the alleged suspect/perpetrator Mr Ifeanyi Uwkuani (still at large) is apprehended immediately.

“In addition, we are making frantic arrangement to locate the victims’ relatives and reunite them with their daughter as soon as possible. We have plans to extend a welfare support to the victim’s mother who we learnt is a widow with 10 children to carter for. We will find out the nature of support the family would need, when we meet with her soonest.

“It is part of our mandate to fight violence against women and girls and to stem the impunity of sexual and gender-based violence. We remain resolute in accomplishing that by working together with likeminded organizations,” the group affirmed.

Founding Director of WACOL, Professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo (OON), observed that but for the NGO’s timely intervention medically, “we would have had another Ochenye episode in our hands.”