By Msurshima Andrew, Makurdi
Benue State Government has petitioned security agencies in the state to investigate an alleged case of rape of a female student of the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), in Otukpo, Benue state.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the State, Barr. Mike Gusa disclosed this while speaking to newsmen in his office in Makurdi, concerning the incident.
Our correspondent gathered that one Mr Ernest Esly, a store officer in his late 50s at the FSTC, Otukpo, allegedly raped a 16-year-old female student of the school, after which he was investigated and suspended from the school.
Reacting to the incident, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, said government has taken over the case to ensure that justice is served.
Gusa who condemned harassment of females in the society especially in schools said the act is a setback for the growth and progress of the girl child.
According to him, the ministry has written the Commissioner of Police and the Director, State Security Services (SSS) to investigate and bring the culprit to book.
“There is an online publication in which the author indicated that there was a sexual assault on a female student of FSTC by a staff of the college and the Governor directed that I take up the matter with the security agencies for proper investigation, so that the culprit can be brought to justice because it is a threat to female children who are in schools.
“For staff of those schools to assault female students, it does not speak well of our society and it doesn’t also speak well of the future of the girl child and as such, the state government will not fold its arms and watch.
“So in compliance with the directive by the Governor, we have written a letter of complaint to the Commissioner of Police and the Director of SSS in the state to carry out a discreet investigation into the matter and verify the veracity of the allegation.
“We want the society to know that Government attention has been drawn to it and we have taken up the matter to ensure that justice is done in the circumstance”, he said.
