The Police in Abia State has arrested one of its officers identified as Corporal Chinedu Nwachukwu, for allegedly raping a student of the State Polytechnic, in Aba.
Academic activities have been halted at the Polytechnic as students took over the Aba -Owerri road protesting the alleged rape of three students by Policemen attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Abia State Command, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, in a statement, expressed regret over the disgraceful act allegedly committed by the policemen.
“After visiting the victim at the hospital and obtaining information from her, an investigation was launched which led to the arrest of the suspect. The Commissioner of Police, CP Janet Agbede, being a woman and a mother has been on her toes with other officers in the command to douse the tension and to find out what actually happened.
“The Commissioner of Police and her management team visited and listened to the victim in the hospital. After hearing from the victim, a serious investigation started through which the policeman, Cpl. Nwachukwu Chinedu that committed the barbaric act was arrested but not attached to Rapid Response Squad Aba (RRS) as alleged by the protesters.
“The Commissioner of Police appeals to Abia Polytechnic community and the general public to exercise patience and wait for the outcome of Police investigation which is ongoing and would be fast-tracked and made public to ensure justice and actually the law will take its course.” On how the investigation commenced, the statement read;
“On 23 September 2021 at about 0915hrs, the Area Commander of Aba received information that students of Abia State Polytechnic were on protest along with Aba/Owerri Aba.
The Area Commander and his personnel along with other security agencies met the protesters. The students were advised not to carry on with the protest.
The Area Commander met the School Acting Rector, Associate Professor Kalu Osonwa Okorie on the campus.
The Area Commander further advised the students to be peaceful and law-abiding.
He also urged students of the Polytechnic to be law-abiding and peaceful in their protest and avoid a violent confrontation with law enforcement officers.
