Soldiers allegedly involved in the rape of a female undergraduate in Ondo State on Wednesday have been arrested.
The arrest of the soldiers was confirmed on Friday by the Brigade Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Akure, Ondo State, Brig. Gen. Zakari Abubakar.
Recall that a 300-level female student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) was allegedly gang-raped by some soldiers stationed at a checkpoint in Ikare-Akoko, the headquarters of the Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Wednesday’s evening.
The Media had reported how the victim from the Department of Religious and African Studies of the university was allegedly ordered by one of the soldiers identified as a Lance Corporal Sunday to get down from a commercial mini-bus she was travelling in from campus to Ikare-Akoko.
The victim, who was in company of her friends was said to have been dragged into one of the rooms built for the soldiers at the checkpoint where the crime was allegedly committed.
According to Brig. Gen. Abubakar, the brigade has launched investigation into the matter.
“It is very true that they (the soldiers) have been arrested. We have commenced our investigation.”
Also, the management of the AAUA said investigation had begun into the matter.
The university, however, noted that the victim had not officially reported the matter to the management for proper action.
According to the head, Media and Protocol Unit of AAUA, Mr Victor Akinpelumi stated that the institution had already taken steps to investigate the incident.
“The victim has not officially reported the matter to the school authorities, but inspite of that, because it is a matter that concerns one of our student, we have taken steps. The university has set up a committee to investigate the incident and the committee would submit its report in few days to come.
“I believe during the course of the investigation by the committee, the lady would be invited for questioning while many other people believed to know one thing or the other about the incident, would be interrogated by the committee. So the report of the committee would reveal everything that happened,” Akinpelumi stated.
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