A corps member, Mr. Jonathan Ogbe, observed his mandatory National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) at Asamabiri Community Primary School in Asamabiri community, Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has absconded over alleged involvement in the defilement of a 12 years old pupil in the state.
Ogbe,31, from Kogi State with NYSC call-up number NYSC/ABU/2020/113131, fled the state before the end of the service year and has refused to pick up his discharge certificate for fear of being arrested and handed over to the Police for investigation.
According to investigations, Ogbe was said to have defiled the minor in September 2021 and when he realized that the girl’s parents were not satisfied with his plea for forgiveness and were planning to report him to the police, he ran away.
The Public Relations officer of NYSC in the state, Mathew Ngobua, confirmed that the Corps member has absconded.
Ngobua also noted that the disappearance of the corps member was noticed when the usual practice of the NYSC disciplinary measure of inviting an erring corps member to camp, de-kitt him or her and hand him to the police for investigation.
“The suspect has abandoned from the service and all his numbers and that of his next of kin are not reachable. He has not even picked up his discharge certificate for service,” he said.
The father of the victim, Nelson Gbaranbiri, explained that his wife brought his attention to some strange discharge found in the panties of his 12 -year- old daughter while doing her laundry.
He said that when he reported the matter to the Police, the police did not show concern until when he petitioned the Gender Response Imitative Team (GRIT).
“My wife brought my attention to the stains and discharges she usually finds in the panties of my daughter. When I asked about what happened to her private part, she told me that ‘uncle will beat her. When I reported to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Sagbama Station, they asked me to arrest the suspect and bring him to the station. They even demanded that I pay them before they could drive down to arrest the suspect. I also met with the NYSC; they also showed signs of indifference. I have protested now to the GRIT and I am hoping that actions would be taken to arrest and prosecute this pedophile,”
he said.
The Chairperson of GRIT, Dise Ogbise confirmed that the GRIT has just received the petition and assured that action would be taken.
“GRIT will reach out to the Command for more updates as we anticipate a prompt response by the police to the petition already served to them. As GRIT, Bayelsa State, we will not relax and we will give the child all the necessary legal and psychological support needed,”
she said.
