RAPE OF 4YRS OLD IMPAIRED GIRL: el-Rufai Shuts Down School In Kaduna

Gov Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai

"The physically challenged four years girl is my only daughter who had expressed a strong desire to learn how to “write” despite her disability." Musa.

Governor Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai of Kaduna state has approved the immediate shutdown of Fad Goshen Academy, Gumei, located along Zonkwa Road, Kachia, following reports of an alleged defilement of a four-year-old girl suffering from hearing and speech impairments.

According to reports, the victim’s father, identified as Mr. Tyinmvak Musa claimed that the disabled minor was allegedly violated within the school premises. 

He also alleged that the school proprietress, Mrs. Rebecca Barde wanted to cover-up the issue owing to her employment status as part of the working staff of the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, seat of the State Government where she is said to be “very powerful.”

In an investigation conducted by the family of the minor, the driver of the school bus that conveys pupils to and from school daily, has been fingered as the alleged culprit and responsible for the defilement of the four years old impaired child.

He is currently in police detention for the alleged crime. 

The Kaduna state Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hijaya Hafsat Baba, while announcing the closure of the school in Kaduna on Thursday, said the closure was to allow proper investigation into the case.

Honourable Baba further disclosed that the state government would bear the cost of the correctional surgery over the defilement of the girl.

Speaking with the PUNCH, the father of the four years minor, Mr. Musa, said the physically challenged girl was his only daughter who had expressed a strong desire to learn how to “write” despite her disability. 

Musa, while calling for justice for his fours years old assaulted and defiled daughter, revealed that the incident happened on June 10 and lamented that since the incident occurred, the proprietress of the school, is yet to visit the family.

According to him, the proprietress said sympathising with the family over “our daughter’s predicament will mean her accepting that the girl was violated in her school.”

He noted that even an invitation from the police to allow for the amicable settlement of the case was reportedly rebuffed by her (proprietress).

“My daughter has hearing and speech impaired but because she was eager to learn how to write, that was why we enrolled her in school so that she could learn.

“On Friday, June 10, I personally put her in the school bus with about three other children in the vehicle around 6:30am that fateful day. When we did not see her around 12pm, her mother was disturbed. However, around 2pm, the school bus returned and parked in front of our shop. My wife went to the bus to receive our daughter.

“When I saw the girl, I knew all was not well with her. When I carried her from the mother, she was touching her lower abdomen and ‘bombom’ demonstrating how she was slapped and penetrated by someone. Since she was just coming from school, we were eager to know who must have done that to her in the school.

“We tried to give her food but she refused to sleep. She then slept after a while. Amazingly, when she woke up, she rushed outside to urinate but she urinated on her body and that got me worried because she had never done that before.

“It was when my wife removed her pant and saw blood stain that it dawned on us that someone had capitalised on her condition to defile her. That was how we managed through that night. Then we realised it was long before day break.”

He added, “The following day, which was Saturday, June 11, we took her to a hospital where a doctor confirmed she was penetrated. As at that time, the doctor was trying to push back her womb inside. The girl was groaning, shouting and crying.

“Tears rolled down freely on our cheeks as we were referred to the General Hospital, Kachia, where another doctor confirmed absence of hymen (loss of virginity). The doctor prescribed drugs for us and recommended six tests. That was on Sunday, June 12.

“As we were returning from the General Hospital, Kachia, we went straight to the house of the proprietress of the school, Mrs Rebecca Barde, who claimed to be so powerful because she is working in Government House where my daughter was defiled.

“She collected my number and told me that she would get back to us. Along the line, we were shuttling between the school and hospital. But, when we saw that we were not making progress, we then involved the Police.

“She was not feeling concerned at all. She didn’t even border to check on the girl. Police then swung into action and arrested three staff of the school – the head teacher, our daughter’s class teacher and the school bus driver. The school bus driver later turned out as prime suspect.”

A Kaduna-based lawyer and rights activists, Bukola Ajao while speaking on the case, said while interrogating the physically challenged girl, “She described how someone slapped her and used hand to cover her mouth and had sexual intercourse with her.”

Ajao informed that she was following up the case so as to ensure that justice was served on the culprit, noting that the only suspect with the state police command was the school driver.

“We met a Deputy Commissioner of Police who referred us back to the Gender Unit. The matter has been referred to the Legal Department. The only suspect we have in the police custody is the school driver,” she said.