Army to punish soldiers for torturing naked robber & UNILAG disowns lecturer who allegedly raped admission seeker
The authorities of the Nigerian Army have apprehended some soldiers who were photographed torturing a suspected armed robber at Mararaba, Nasarawa State, near Abuja.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in an electronic mail on Monday that the Army would ensure that the soldiers involved were punished.
He said the photograph of a soldier flogging a naked robbery suspect, which appeared on the front page of major national newspapers and other social media platforms, had done serious damage to the image of the service.
Usman said the action of the soldiers contradicted the ethics of the military tradition and professionalism in the service.
He said the Army authorities have identified the soldiers and would administer the necessary punishment on them.
“The attention of The Nigerian Army has been drawn to a front page photograph of some soldiers maltreating a suspected robber at Mararraba, Nasarawa State, on the front page of today’s edition of Daily Trust newspaper.
“Sadly, it is also trending on the Social Media. There is no doubt the photograph has done incalculable damage to the image of the service. The act was unfortunate and at variance with military ethics and professionalism.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to inform the public that the perpetrators of the offence have been identified, summoned and would face disciplinary action.”
Usman said the Army had also contacted the newspaper over the prominence accorded the worrisome picture.
He stressed that steps should have been taken to alert the Army authorities to the development instead of putting the picture on the paper’s cover.
He assured the citizenry of the determination of the Army to respect human rights in its operation.
He appealed to the public not to use the ugly incidence to judge the service.
UNILAG disowns lecturer
Authorities of the University of Lagos on Sunday disowned the randy lecturer, Dr. Akin Baruwa, who allegedly raped an 18-year-old admission seeker.
Baruwa allegedly raped the young girl (name withheld), who is seeking admission to the university, in his office on July 23, 2015.
The lecturer, currently in detention at the Kirikiri Prison, was arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, on Thursday.
But speaking with our correspondent on Sunday, the Head, Information Unit of the university, Mr. Olagoke Oke, said Baruwa was not an employee
of the institution.
According to him, no such name exists on the university’s employee list whether teaching or non-teaching.
He added, “The said Dr. Baruwa is a not a member of staff of the university, whether teaching or non-teaching. He also does not belong to the part-time or full-time teaching staff of the school. His name is not on the master list of workers of the university. I have checked the staff list using his full name and initials and could not come up with any such name as of Friday, August 6, 2015.
“I have also checked the list of office accommodation given to members of staff of the university and his name is not there. There is no office allocation attached to such a name. How he reportedly entered the said office where the crime took place is what we are looking into as an institution.
“While we sympathise with the alleged victim, we are ready to cooperate with every agency of government to get to the root of the matter as soon as possible. As an institution, we do not support any act of violence, not even against women. Therefore, we will help to ensure that the case comes to a logical conclusion.”
Meanwhile, as the authorities disowned the lecturer, some students, in the Faculty of Business Administration, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that the suspect was a part-time lecturer of the Accounting Department of the university.
One of them said, “I know him as a part-time lecturer in the accounting department. I wonder what the university wants to achieve now by trying to disown him.”
The Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, Prof. Rasheed Ojikutu, could not be reached as of 6pm on Sunday.
Baruwa, who the police in Lagos arrested on August 3, reportedly confessed to the act but claimed that the sex was by mutual consent.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in an electronic mail on Monday that the Army would ensure that the soldiers involved were punished.
He said the photograph of a soldier flogging a naked robbery suspect, which appeared on the front page of major national newspapers and other social media platforms, had done serious damage to the image of the service.
Usman said the action of the soldiers contradicted the ethics of the military tradition and professionalism in the service.
He said the Army authorities have identified the soldiers and would administer the necessary punishment on them.
“The attention of The Nigerian Army has been drawn to a front page photograph of some soldiers maltreating a suspected robber at Mararraba, Nasarawa State, on the front page of today’s edition of Daily Trust newspaper.
“Sadly, it is also trending on the Social Media. There is no doubt the photograph has done incalculable damage to the image of the service. The act was unfortunate and at variance with military ethics and professionalism.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to inform the public that the perpetrators of the offence have been identified, summoned and would face disciplinary action.”
Usman said the Army had also contacted the newspaper over the prominence accorded the worrisome picture.
He stressed that steps should have been taken to alert the Army authorities to the development instead of putting the picture on the paper’s cover.
He assured the citizenry of the determination of the Army to respect human rights in its operation.
He appealed to the public not to use the ugly incidence to judge the service.
UNILAG disowns lecturer
Authorities of the University of Lagos on Sunday disowned the randy lecturer, Dr. Akin Baruwa, who allegedly raped an 18-year-old admission seeker.
Baruwa allegedly raped the young girl (name withheld), who is seeking admission to the university, in his office on July 23, 2015.
The lecturer, currently in detention at the Kirikiri Prison, was arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, on Thursday.
But speaking with our correspondent on Sunday, the Head, Information Unit of the university, Mr. Olagoke Oke, said Baruwa was not an employee
of the institution.
According to him, no such name exists on the university’s employee list whether teaching or non-teaching.
He added, “The said Dr. Baruwa is a not a member of staff of the university, whether teaching or non-teaching. He also does not belong to the part-time or full-time teaching staff of the school. His name is not on the master list of workers of the university. I have checked the staff list using his full name and initials and could not come up with any such name as of Friday, August 6, 2015.
“I have also checked the list of office accommodation given to members of staff of the university and his name is not there. There is no office allocation attached to such a name. How he reportedly entered the said office where the crime took place is what we are looking into as an institution.
“While we sympathise with the alleged victim, we are ready to cooperate with every agency of government to get to the root of the matter as soon as possible. As an institution, we do not support any act of violence, not even against women. Therefore, we will help to ensure that the case comes to a logical conclusion.”
Meanwhile, as the authorities disowned the lecturer, some students, in the Faculty of Business Administration, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that the suspect was a part-time lecturer of the Accounting Department of the university.
One of them said, “I know him as a part-time lecturer in the accounting department. I wonder what the university wants to achieve now by trying to disown him.”
The Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, Prof. Rasheed Ojikutu, could not be reached as of 6pm on Sunday.
Baruwa, who the police in Lagos arrested on August 3, reportedly confessed to the act but claimed that the sex was by mutual consent.
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