When Aisha Amodu, 10, was allegedly sexually assaulted on February 8 by 50-year-old Papa Councillor at 17 Obakhavhaye Street, Benin city, the Police in Edo State told her father that they could not investigate because he does not have money and officials at the Ministry of Women Affairs were foot-dragging on the case.

Distraught, Siaka Amodu, a father of five children and a labourer at a brick manufacturing plant, went looking for human rights activists to help him get justice but found none. He eventually found a lady who made a video of him and his daughter, and uploaded on social media.

“Papa Councillor called and asked me to help him to buy Indomie, I did. As I was about leaving, he grabbed and put me on his leg, when I tried to free myself from his grip, he covered my mouth and put his hand inside my private part,” Aisha said in a video in Pidgin English.

“He even wanted to lie on my body. He said he would give me N100 if he lies on my body. He gave me N20. I threw the money at him when he was about to laie on my body and I ran off to tell my mummy.

“My mummy checked my body and said that it was true. When my daddy came back from work, I began feeling cold and my body was shaking. My daddy began crying when my mummy told him.”

The next day, Aisha, a pupil in primary five, could not walk to school because of pains and she could not urinate.

TWITTER PLEASE HELP THIS MAN GET JUSTICE FOR HIS 10YR OLD DAUGHTER THAT WAS SEXUALLY MOLESTED BY A 50 YEAR OLD MAN!!! THE LITTLE GIRL CAN NO LONGER CONTROL HER URINE!! pic.twitter.com/X424QHOLlU

— I.J? Ok! 🇳🇬 (@MoPride_) April 22, 2021

Amodu went to confront Papa Councillor but he was beaten, injured and threatened. And he was told to never return to challenge the alleged rapist.

“They said they would kill me. They hit me with an object on the hand I used to hold the man. The hand I use to work, get money to feed my family… till today, I feel pains and I struggle to use the hand to work. This hand is disfigured,” Amodu said in Pidgin English, holding his left hand in a video.

“Now, they go about boasting that I cannot do anything to them. Even their brother who just returned from abroad threatened me.”

Police in Edo Demand Money from Suspect Before Making Arrest, Kill Case

Amodu told FIJ on Saturday morning that when he reported the matter to Adeyan Police Station in Benin City in February, he was told to bring money for fuel. He eventually paid N3,000. But Papa Councillor had absconded by the time the police arrived.

“The man did not return home for about two weeks. When Papa Councilor returned, he went with his friend to give the police N15,000. Since then, they have not done anything,” he said.

“The Officer-in-Charge told me that the man brought N15,000 but the money is not my problem. I asked why they did not arrest the man when he brought the money. They asked me: ‘Do you have money?’

“Women affairs collected all documents from me. They would not even allow me to make copies. They told me to hold Papa Councillor when I see him. The police did not answer me when I saw the man. Even women affairs dismissed me when I went to ask about the case.”  

A call to the phone number listed as the contact detail of police public relations officer in Edo State, was answered by SP Chidi Nwabuzor. He said he was no long the PRO but promised to send the details of the current PRO. Nwabuzor was yet to send details as of the time of filing this report.

 Aisha now Suffers from PTSD

Amodu has observed changes in his daughter’s behaviour since the incident occurred.

“My daughter does not sleep because of nightmares. She would wake up at night, shouting that an old man was trying to cover her with a white garment. She stays away from people. She was not like that; she changed since that man did that nonsense to her,” he told FIJ.

He said the incident had taken a huge toll on his family. He is now in debt and unable to work because of the injury that was inflicted on him.

“I just want justice for my daughter, but because I do not have money, they want to kill the matter,” Amodu lamented.