31st May, 2020
By Jethro lbileke/Benin
Authorities of University of Benin (UNIBEN) have spoken on the murder of one of their students, 22-year-old Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, who was gang-raped and clubbed to death by unidentified persons.
The incident took place in the night of Wednesday last week, inside the Ikpoba Hill branch of Redeemed Christian Church of God(RCCG) in Benin, Edo state.
The 100-Level student of the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences in the institution, was said to have gone to the church to read when her assailants pounced on her and hit her with a fire extinguisher after raping her.
News of her attack was first published in the newsletter of the Students Union Government (SUG), of the university.
According to a source, the church security officer had gone to collect keys to the church from its keeper when he was told that there was someone already in the church.
“He got to the church only to find the girl in critical condition and in a pool of blood with the blood-stained fire extinguisher near her.
“He ran back to inform the keeper and his wife, who went to the church to meet her lifeless.
“After careful observation, it was noticed that she moved her hand and she was rushed to the hospital.
“It was there that she revealed she was reading alone that night when the unknown men came into the church, beat her, raped her and hit her head with a fire extinguisher. They left her for dead,” the source explained.
The Public Relations Officer of the SUG, Destiny Uanzekin, explained that the victim who was beaten to a pulp and taken for dead, later died at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), where she was taken to for treatment.
The university in a statement on Sunday, said it shares in the pain of the family of the victim.
The statement endorsed by the Public Relations Officer of UNIBEN, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, noted that losing a child at this time compounds the hardship brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic.
“We believe that at this time when the pandemic has created so much concern to everyone, loosing a child compounds the present situation.
“This administration is concerned about all students welfare and will always be. We believe that at this time when the pandemic has created so much concern to everyone, loosing a child compounds the present situation.
“We share in the pain of the family. It is expected of the management to take some action. In this regard, a delegation is being sent to commiserate with her family,” Ehanire said.
At the time of filing this report, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria police, Edo State Command, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, could not be reached for comments.
A top police officer who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to do so, told our correspondent that the Command has commenced investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, the Ikpoba Hill branch of the Redeemed Church where the incident occurred was on Sunday morning set ablaze allegedly by angry students of the University.