Group Calls For Thorough Investigation Into Alleged Gang Rape Of A Female Student In College Of Health

 

An advocacy group, Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign has called on Rivers State Police command to thoroughly investigate the alleged gang rape of a female student by three male students of the Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology. 

 

Secretary Board of Trustee of the group, Prince Wiro in a statement said that information available to the group suggests that the three male students Ferdinand  Gospel, Chim Steve and Nadum Sampson all in final year were arrested by the institution's  security without handing them over to the Police prior to their expulsion. 

 

Mr Wiro stated that an interview by Centre for Basic Rights with  Sunday Steve one of the students  accused of participating in the rape indicates that the students were not invited by the Police.

 

Mr Wiro called on the Police to unravel  the level of culpability of the expelled students and if found culpable they should be made to face the law.

 

Mr Wiro asserted that allegation of rape cannot be investigated and concluded by the school without recourse to Police investigation considering its magnitude and nature.

In the meantime, one of the suspects Sunday Chim in an interview with our correspondent absolved himself and the two other students of any involvement in the said crime. 

 

Mr Chim maintained that they did not gang rape Bianca or any other female student in the institution contrary to claims by the School management that the female student was gang raped inside Boys hostel. 

 

He explained that the moment the matter was reported, the security outfit in the school arrested him and another accused student and allegedly subjected them to severe torture without telling them what offence they committed.

Mr Chim said they were later released after hours of detention by the school security personnel, adding that the school did not give them fair hearing neither were they handed over or invited by the Police.

 

On his part, Provost of the institution, Professor Franklin Nlerum maintained that the college followed due process in expulsion of the students and also gave them the opportunity to defend themselves. 

 

Professor Nlerum claimed that the matter was also reported to Divisional Police headquarters at Sani Abacha road, Port Harcourt.