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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has cautioned the Nigeria Police Force and the judiciary against acts of intimidation and diversionary legal tactics in the alleged sexual assault case against a Lagos businessman, Emeka Uyalemuo (also known as Dallas Communication).
While calling for a vigorous and unbiased investigation into the alleged serial sexual assault, HURIWA warned that acts of intimidation, diversionary legal tactics and harassment against persons connected to the victim should not be allowed to derail the pursuit of truth.
The victim, a 21-year- old Nigerian, had in a petition to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), alleged that she was serially abused sexually by Uyalemuo in 2021, when she was still 17 years old and living with the Uyalemuo family in Lagos.
The petition signed by her lawyer, Martin Agba, further stated that when the victim confided in his wife, who is her aunt’s cousin, she not only dismissed the allegations, but actively supported her husband.
Already, NAPTIP has vowed to follow up on the case and ensure that justice is achieved.
Mrs. Tolu Odugbesan, the agency’s Director of the Violence Against Persons and Prohibition (VAPP) Act, had while interrogating the victim, reportedly pledged that the agency would ensure justice is served.
However, HURIWA in a statement issued in Abuja, expressed deep concern over what it described as an apparent attempt to shift focus from the serious allegation of sexual abuse to other legal disputes involving relatives of the victim.
The statement signed by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the advocacy group is demanding a swift, impartial and victim-centered investigation, insisting that anyone found culpable of sexual abuse must face the full weight of the law.
It’s reaction followed the emergence of a charge sheet showing that Njoku Jesse Ifeanyichukwu has been arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Judicial Division, after being accused by the police of allegedly using forged documents to obtain confidential academic and employment records belonging to the aunt of the alleged rape survivor.
According to the charge sheet reviewed by the rights group, the defendant is accused of dishonestly producing a letterhead purportedly belonging to “Excellent International School, Oguta, Imo State” in order to obtain private records relating to the victim’s aunt. Prosecutors allege that the document was falsely presented as one issued with proper authority, an offence punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code.
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The second count of the charge states that the defendant allegedly made a false statement on oath in a criminal complaint of forgery filed at Magistrate Court 1, Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, on October 24, 2022, with the intention of misleading the court and influencing judicial opinion.
However, HURIWA said while the courts are competent to determine the allegations concerning the alleged use of forged documents, the case must not be used as a tool to intimidate the rape survivor or discredit those advocating justice for her.
The rights organisation recalled that the alleged victim had publicly narrated her ordeal during an appearance on the popular human rights broadcast Brekete Family, anchored by Ahmed Isah on Human Rights Radio in Abuja.
During the broadcast, the victim reportedly made disturbing disclosures about repeated sexual abuse, alleging that the suspect exploited opportunities in the early hours of the morning.
According to the account presented during the programme, the incidents allegedly occurred whenever she went to carry a four-year-old child from the suspect’s room around 5 a.m., during which she said he would sexually assault her.
HURIWA said the testimony given by the victim raises grave concerns that must be thoroughly investigated by law enforcement authorities without prejudice or delay.
“The allegation of rape, especially involving a vulnerable young person, is a grave criminal matter that demands the highest level of diligence from investigators and the judiciary,” the organisation said.
The group stressed that any effort to intimidate the victim or those associated with her family would amount to a secondary victimisation that undermines the justice system.
HURIWA further urged the Nigeria Police Force, prosecutors and the judiciary to ensure that the central issue (the rape allegation) is investigated professionally and transparently.
According to the group, Nigeria has witnessed too many cases where survivors of sexual violence face social pressure, intimidation or legal harassment that discourages them from pursuing justice.
“The justice system must protect survivors, not frighten them into silence,” HURIWA stated.
