By Patrick Ochei
Issele-Uku, the headquarters of Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, is in the news again after a 15 year old girl was gang raped by seven boys few months ago; this time, a 14 year old Joy Nwabueze Onua, a JSS1 student of Martin’s College Issele-Uku could not make it as she died after the rape.
It was alleged to be a ritual rape, carried out by a father of two and an indigene of Issele-Uku, Mr Chukwuka Nwosu.
Nwosu was said to have lured the young girl into his hilux vehicle on her way from market to a nearby guest house – Valtonic Guest House, owned by a popular politician in town, where she was raped and dropped off around Egbune Primary School to stagger home alone.
Narrating the incident to our Correspondent is the elder sister to the late rape victim, Miss Happiness Nwabueze Onua, in the presence of her father, Mr Azubuike Nwabueze and mother, Mrs Nwanyidi Nwabueze.
She said her sister told them before she passed on that a man gave her a ride on her way from market, only to drive past their house to a Guest House where she was raped.
Happiness who is an apprentice for Fashion Designing, said as she was leaving for work that fateful morning of Tuesday, 7th December, 2021, her sister was also preparing for a church programme as they no longer go to school after their exams. She said she gave her money to go to market to buy ingredients for soup immediately she closes from the church.
It was on her way returning from the market that the man followed her behind and persuaded her to come into the car so he could drop her off at home. She said after refusing for a while, she innocently entered.
She said that the man drove her sister past their house and went straight to Valtonic Guest House where he had already made an arrangement to carry out his sinister motive.
Happiness affirmed that her 14 year old innocent sister was gruesomely raped as a virgin, and after the man was done, he brought out a white handkerchief, cleaned off her blood and put it into his bag.
She said her sister was then driven out of the Guest House to a location (Egbune Primary School) within their vicinity and was handed a Thousand Naira Note with his phone number before dumping her there. She said Joy was already unconscious and only managed to stagger home after regaining a bit of consciousness.
She said when she got home, she was already bleeding profusely and screaming “My tommy, my tommy”. She stated that their landlady was already responding to her when she (Happiness) returned from work. That was when Joy summoned strength to narrate her ordeal to her sister and people around and handed over the phone number to her.
Happiness said with the help of sympathetic neighbours and passers-by, Joy was rushed to St. Theresa’s Hospital Issele-Uku where the doctor said the hospital could not handle her case. From there she was rushed to Pilgrim Baptist Hospital Issele-Uku, where she was attended to with blood transfusion as she had lost so much blood by then.
Happiness said her parents were able to come into town that night from their village at Abala Obodo in Ndokwa East LGA of Delta State. However, unable to control the profusely dripping blood from her, the resident doctor had to refer her to Asaba where she could access better medical attention.
Happiness said at this time, her parents had to call the number that the man gave their daughter to inform him of the consequence of what he had done to their daughter. She said he answered, admitted to the crime and was begging them, promising to take care of the medical bill from any hospital they were taking her to in Asaba. She said she also put the number in her android phone and chatted him; that was how his picture appeared and they also got his name as Chukwuka Nwosu.
She said they slept at Pilgrim Baptist Hospital Issele-Uku that Tuesday night before moving Joy to El Comfort Clinic at Bonsac, Asaba the next day being Wednesday, but unfortunately she could not make it as she died on arrival. “My sister died painfully. And as soon as Chukwuka heard that she had died, he switched off his phone and ever since then we could no longer get through to him”, she explained.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Command, DSP Edafe Bright confirmed this incident to Anioma Trust and said the Police was already on the trail of the fleeing alleged ritual rapist.
He gave the identity of the culrpit as one Mr Chukwuka Nwosu, a native of Issele-Uku and a staff attached to the Local Government Service Commission Asaba, where he worked as a driver until he perpetuated the heinous crime.
Edafe said Police would do everything humanly and professionally possible to bring the suspect to justice.
He sympathized with the family of the deceased and urged them to have faith in the law to bring justice to their late daughter.
Meanwhile, rumours have it that the poor parents of the girl who hail from a strict traditional background at Abala-Obodo in Ndokwa East LGA of Delta State may be taking the option of consulting their ancestral village shrine to get quick justice. Though this medium does not know the angle it would take, but such instances usually are drastic and collateral as the culprit alone may not suffer the consequences of his action, but the entire family and even beyond.
Speaking to the Traditional Ruler of Issele-Uku Kingdom, HRM Agbogidi Obi Nduka concerning the incident via telephone conversation, he said he was shocked to believe that such could take place in Issele-Uku within a couple of months after the first one where a teenage girl was gang raped.
He promised that the community is never going to let this particular one slip off, saying he had officially sent emissaries to hear from the victim’s family.
According to him, “I only saw the news on the internet. I don’t know the victim’s family or where they lived before now. Nobody reported the matter to me, but as the Traditional Ruler that such crime took place in his domain, I had to arrange for a message to be taken to them. I am also, already swinging into action to ensure that justice is done and that nothing of such happens again in this highly revered community.
“We are not only hospitable and accommodating; we are loving and duty bound to uphold the laws of our land.
“I have summoned a meeting of Community leaders, stakeholders including hoteliers on Tuesday, 14th December, 2021, to enable the Palace properly analyse the situation and take a position on the way forward. This is because we have to be sure of what the law says in this circumstance and what the position of the community will be”, Agbogidi Nduka affirmed.
When asked what he would do should the victim’s family decide to consult their village deity in this regard; Obi Nduka said anybody in such circumstance would equally want to take drastic action to get justice. Nobody would blame them for such if it happens. But as a Community, we must first condemn this dastardly act, show sincere concern to the family and then assist them to get justice that their beloved daughter deserves.
To get the facts clear from the scene of crime, our Correspondent visited Valtonic Guest House at Ogboli Quarters, Issele-Uku, where a female manager gladly narrated their own side of the story.
Her words, “I don’t believe the girl was raped, because they both came into the Guest House majestically. The man drove his hilux car right inside the compound and parked closely to the Guest House door. We were on the other side inside the compound, celebrating with someone who had bought a new car. The man came to where we were sitting to greet us. He knows the people who were celebrating; they are all Issele-Uku people.
“After greeting us, he went back to the car and both him and the girl came down and went inside where he booked for a short-time room. Our booking is #1000 for one hour. They went in and didn’t even spend up to the one hour. They came out and drove off in the man’s car. Though I didn’t take note of the way the girl was walking to ascertain if she was raped or something else had happened to her. I know I saw the girl but I can’t place my head to know how she looked like or who she was.
“It was the next day we started hearing that the girl who the man (Chukwuka) brought to our Guest House was raped and she died.
“The man is not our regular customer. I have only seen him here two times. First was when the brother lodged in our Guest House when they were renovating their father’s house at Ishiekpe Quarters. And second, was that fateful day that he came here to book to use our room for short-time.
“Some boys were here after the incident, claiming to be the girl’s brothers; about six of them and I was even beaten. They even scattered our chairs. I feel for the family, because I have a girl as a child; and I don’t allow anything to happen to her. Had it been I heard a voice of someone being raped, I would just break the door myself to enable her escape. But in this case, they both came in and left the same way. There was nothing to suggest my suspicion”, the Manager narrated.
This is a very delicate situation in the sense that, while the deceased girl’s family is alleging that their daughter was hypnotised, raped and used for rituals; some people are of the opinion that if the alleged rapist wanted to get away with the crime unnoticed, he would have gone to a hidden place far off and wouldn’t have given the girl his phone number to call him.
Whatever happens, the Police would need to carry out discreet investigations into the matter to enable it report the accurate truth of the case. There is also the need to carry out thorough autopsy to ascertain the actual cause of death. It is unfortunate that the victim is not alive, but justice is the only thing that may possibly heal the wound.
It would be recall that The Story, had earlier reported that Chuka Nwosu, purportedly raped a 15 years old girl in Issele-Uku.
Comrade Patrick Ochei,
Journalist & Member,
Delta State Child’s Rights Implementation Committee.
