The Chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC), Gombe State Chapter, Mr Bobo Benson Bagwiba, has issued a passionate call for justice following the brutal assault of a deaf girl in Tula community, Kaltungo Local Government Area of the state.
In a strongly worded press statement released on Wednesday, Mr Bagwiba described the incident as a “grave injustice” that must not be ignored by law enforcement or society at large.
According to the AAC chairman, the young girl — a member of the deaf community — was subjected to an attempted rape by an unidentified assailant. When she resisted, she was reportedly beaten so severely that she sustained internal injuries and had to undergo emergency surgery at the Cottage Hospital in Bambam.
“I have spoken directly with a relative of the victim — a courageous woman who is now footing the medical bills for the girl. What happened to this child is not only a violent crime, it is a shameful indictment of our collective failure to protect the vulnerable,” Bagwiba stated.
Despite the gravity of the assault, the suspect remains at large. The victim’s family, according to the statement, is under pressure to remain silent due to fear of reprisals from within the community.
Bagwiba issued a direct appeal to the Nigeria Police Force, particularly the Divisional Police Office in Tula, to act swiftly.
“This is a direct call to the police in Tula — do the needful. Arrest the suspect. Conduct a thorough investigation. Protect the victim and her family. The law must not be silent in the face of such cruelty,” the statement read.
He also urged civil society organizations, human rights groups, media practitioners, religious and community leaders to rally behind the victim and demand accountability.
“Her disability does not make her less human. Her silence does not mean she has no voice. She may not speak, but we will speak for her. She may not hear, but our collective cry for justice must echo throughout Gombe and beyond,” Bagwiba declared.
The AAC chairman emphasised that the party will not stand by while vulnerable members of the society are brutalized and abandoned, warning that the impunity surrounding the case must not be allowed to fester.
