TELL Magazine

22-year-old undergraduate deflowered, gang-raped and murdered in Church in Edo.

A 22-year-old undergraduate of the University of Benin, UNIBEN, Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, has been gruesomely murdered by unknown assailants inside a church hall in the Ikpoba Hill area of Benin City, Edo State. Omozuwa who had gone to the church to study ahead of reopening of schools which were shut as a result of the COVID19 pandemic, was reportedly gang-raped by her attackers. The 100 level micro-biology student was said to have been deflowered by the hoodlums, gang-raped, and left for dead after her head was smashed with a fire extinguisher.

Tell gathered that Omozuwa died at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), where she was rushed to when the security man in charge of the church, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Edo Province 10, Ikpoba Hill, Benin, discovered her in a pool of blood on Wednesday May 27, 2020. The church was torched Sunday afternoon around 12.05 pm by irate youths. It was however a lucky escape for the crime correspondent of Edo Broadcasting Service, EBS, Festus Alenkhe who visited the scene of crime when angry youths stormed the church and he had to immediately scamper to safety.

An informed source hinted the magazine that “The church’s security officer had gone to collect the keys to the church from the keeper of the key when he was told that there was someone in the church already. He got to the church around 6 pm only to discover Uwaila in a pool of blood and next to her was a fire extinguisher which was used to bash her face”.

The alarmed security man reportedly ran back to inform the key keeper and his wife who hurried along with him to the church to be confronted with a gory sight, seemingly lifeless. A closer look at her was said to have shown that she was still alive as her hand moved and they quickly rushed her to the UBTH. Before she slipped into coma from which she did not recover, she was able to disclose what had happened. She said some unknown men came into the church, attacked, raped and hit her head with a fire extinguisher.

Meanwhile, the authorities of the University of Benin, and the Students Union Government, SUG, have reacted to the ugly incident. The management of UNIBEN said it “received with shock, the news of the rape and subsequent murder of one of its students, Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa. 100 level, Microbiology Department”. In a press statement on Sunday signed by the university’s public relations officer, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Lilian Salami described the actions as “condemnable” and such that should not be condoned by any society.

Salami said the current pandemic was already hard on everyone and “compounding it with inflicting additional pain on any family is a wicked act”. While commiserating with the bereaved family on the loss of their dear daughter, Salami prayed God to grant her soul peaceful rest. She used the opportunity to call on students of the institution, and indeed all young people, to be wary of the company they keep and the places they visit. The statement said a delegation had been sent by the University’s management to commiserate with the bereaved family.

In a statement titled “Dark Moment”, and signed by its PRO, Destiny Uanzekin, the SUG of the University, said “It’s indeed a painful day for the University of Benin Students Community. The entire UNIVERSITY OF Benin and the Faculty of Life Sciences mourn the demise of one of her own, Miss Vera Uwaila”. Explaining the circumstances of her death, the SUG said “The Golden Age Executive led by Comr. Egwu Benjamin Lotanna, sends her condolences to her family, friends and Faculty. We pray God grant her soul eternal rest and her family the fortitude to bear the loss”.

The magazine learnt that timely arrival of the police saved the church from being razed though a lot of damage had been done to the property.

The case was eventually reported at Oregbeni Police Station, but no action had been taken. It was alleged that when a distress call was made to the police, they were asking for mobilization. it was gathered that irate youths on Sunday afternoon attempted to set the church ablaze. It was a lucky escape for the crime correspondent of Edo Broadcasting Service, EBS, Festus Alenkhe who was at the scene of crime when angry youths stormed the church at around 12.05 pm.