The Edo State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a suspect allegedly linked to the rape and murder of Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa.
Omozuwa, a 100-level student of the University of Benin, was allegedly raped and killed by yet-to-be-identified persons at the Ikpoba Hill branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Benin, while reading in the church.
Her gruesome rape and murder has generated a lot of reactions across all social media with top celebrities leading the call for justice in the case with #JusticeForUwa.
The Nigerian Senate had also urged State Houses of Assembly to amend penal and criminal code of their respective states to make the penalties for rape and sexual assault stiffer while raising a motion on the incident.
Confirming the arrest of a suspect in the case, the spokesman of Edo Police Command, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, said the suspect was arrested following a screening of the fingerprints on the fire extinguisher allegedly used to smash the head of the deceased.
He said the suspect was arrested, “around the place of the incident”.
Nwabuzor said police operatives arrested the suspect after the Area Commander of Ikpoba Hill mobilized his men to take action.
“The item used in the assault, which was a fire extinguisher, was recovered, immediately the operatives who were with some specialists, screened the finger prints which led to the arrest of our suspect,” he said.
The Inspector-General of Police, Abubakar Adamu, had on Monday dispatched forensic experts from the force headquarters to Edo State to assist the Edo State command with the investigation to unravel the perpetrators behind the crime.
Meanwhile, the Wife of the Governor of the state, Mrs Betsy Obaseki, has called for an end to the violence against women and children in the state.
Mrs. Obaseki, in a video message being played as a jingle on television and radio stations across the state, condemned in strong terms the rising spate of violence against women and children in the state since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have recorded a sharp rise in domestic and sexual violence against women and children in our society.
“A few days ago, we lost a promising young female student of the University of Benin, Uwa Omozuwa, to the hand of rapists.
“As mothers in the land, we are raising our voices in anger, and we are saying enough of this madness.
“Stop this violence now,” the Edo State first lady said in the jingle.
Also, Mrs. Obaseki condoled with the family of the deceased, assuring them of justice.
She visited the family on Tuesday in the company of the wife of the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mrs Maryam Shaibu, and Commissioner for Social Development and Gender, Maria Edekor, and other state officials.
She assured them that the death of the Uwaila will not be vain.
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