By Kingsley Omonobi
Senior Police sources at the Force Intelligence Bureau, Force headquarters, under which the Police Gender Unit operates, on Tuesday affirmed that the Nigerian Police Force has charged the Kogi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Abdulmumuni Danga to court for allegedly raping and assaulting a lady, among other charges, over a Facebook post.
The lady, one Elizabeth Onyeniyi had petitioned the Police Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) on her ordeal in the hands of the Kogi Commissioner and other accomplices alleging that she was not only raped, but beaten mercilessly and threatened, prompting the FIB to invite Mr. Danga to appear before the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Gender Unit, for questioning on the 2nd of June 2020, after which the Commissioner was released.
It was gathered that discreet investigations by the Gender Unit had been ongoing since June, leading to the discovery of evidence showing the need for the case to be taken to court.
Elizabeth Oyeniyi had alleged that Mr. Abdulmumuni Danga, the Commissioner for Water Resources of Kogi state, personally flogged her and said he could have killed her were it not for her young son who was with the mom.
She claimed the commissioner then stripped her while some men who worked for Commissioner watched as some others videoed the nude woman as she was being whipped and humiliated.
She said the workers collected her phone and destroyed it so that she will not have a record of everything adding that she was made to apologize to the fans of the Commissioner on Facebook denying what she earlier posted, that the Commissioner is a philanthropist and humanitarian.
She claimed that the Commissioner gave her #30,000 to get a new phone after making the video which she rejected because she felt humiliated for the beating and being stripped naked in the presence of about 15 men.
Ms Onyeniyi claimed that the assault did not end there; that after the attack, the Commissioner drove her to a hotel close to the Kogi State House in Lokoja, the state capital, where he forcefully had sex with her three times overnight.
Elizabeth said her ordeal started on March 29, 2020, when she made a post accusing the commissioner for water resources of abandoning his step sister, who is a close friend of hers (Elizabeth Onyeniyi), since he refused to support her financially leading to her friend dropping out of school and that her friend has been speaking to the Commissioner without response.
Police sources said that following conclusion of investigations, the Police is charging Mr. Danga along with one Success Omadivi along with some others who are at large.
The seven-count charge sheet signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Barr at Law), ACP Effiong Asuquo who is the Prosecuting Counsel for the police noted that the case will be prosecuted by the police on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria
Both Abdulmumuni Danga and Success Omadivi are to be arraigned at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Judicial Division.
The seven-count charge include rape, brutality, coercion, torture, falsifying documents and threatening medical officer to forge test result.
The Police charges read, that Mr. Danga forcefully had carnal knowledge of Elizabeth Onyeniyi without her consent; and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
The Police said in Count two that Mr. Danga with other persons now at large; in Lokoja willfully inflicted physical injury on Elizabeth by flogging her with electric cable wire.
Danga was also charged for falsifying documents and threatening medical officer to forge test result.
Other charges read, “That you Abdulmumuni Danga, Success Omadivi ‘F’ with other persons now at large; on or about the 29th day of March 2020 at Lokoja; within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did coerce one Elizabeth Oyeniyi to kneel down by torturing her; and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3 Of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
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That you Abdulmumuni Danga, Success Omadivi ‘F’ With other persons now at large; on or about the 29th day of March 2020 at Lokoja; within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did create or falsify a Facebook chat purporting same to be a chat between Elizabeth Onyeniyi ‘F’ and unknown person where Elizabeth Oyeniyi ‘F’ confirmed that she was not raped; and there was no test done at the hospital because the doctor was scared to issue report so that she will not lose her job; and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 7 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
That you Abdulmumuni Danga, Success Omadivi ‘F’ with other persons now at large; on or about the 29th day of March, 2020 at Lokoja; within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did falsify an audio recording purporting same to be a lady talking to another female saying that Elizabeth Onyeniyi ‘F’ confessed to her that she was not raped by the Defendant, Abdulmumuni Danga but that it was Natasha that asked her to say she was raped; and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 7 Of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
That you Abdulmumuni Danga with other persons now at large; on or about the 29th day of March, 2020 at Lokoja; within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did falsify an audio recording purporting same to be the audio of Dr. Chinonyerem Welle, Medical Director, Police Hospital, Area 1, Garki, Abuja saying that she issued medical report for the rape and assault of Elizabeth Onyeniyi ‘F’ unlawfully; and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 7 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.”
