Civil Society Advance Forum on Sustainable Development, Forum of Delta State NGOs and Coalition of Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organizations in Delta State, have raised the alarm that the girl child education is risk in Delta state campuses, even as they demanded justice for the gruesome murder of the first class 300 level Mass Communication student of the Delta State University, Abraka, Miss Elozino Ogege.
It would be recalled that Miss Elozino Ogege, a first class 300 level student of Mass Communication, Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, was gruesomely murdered two weeks ago by suspected ritualists operating as internet fraudsters known as ‘Yahoo Yahoo plus boys’.
Speaking on behalf of other NGOs, at a mass rally Thursday, in Asaba, national coordinator of Civil Advanced Society forum on Sustainable Development 2030, Ms Caroline Usikpedo, noted that the girl-child was no longer safe in the society.
“The campus was no longer conducive for the girl-child to learn, criminality now abounds that even the good children sent from home came back with a degree in crime and ritualism. Our children should not learn with fear or study with criminals. Children in higher institutions should be a joy to parents not sadness “.
Our correspondent reports that the rally which kicked off at the Ministry of Women Affairs through Police Headquarters along Okpanam road, Asaba and ended at the office of the secretary to the state government with the civil society organisations presenting their charter of demands to the relevant authorities for legal and institutional actions to track down the perpetrators of the ritualistic killing of the DELSU student.
The CSOs demanded, inter alia, quick and conclusive investigation into the death of Miss Ogege as well as urgent prosecution of the suspects, urging the security agencies to carry out what they called “operation flush out yahoo – yahoo business and a thorough audit of police escorts detailed to private individuals.”, and called on the Delta State Police Command to question sources of wealth of the so-called yahoo-yahoo boys.
Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Omatsola Williams who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Puegeren Gladys, condemned yahoo business in its entirety, acknowledging that the girl-child was no longer safe, adding that the gender-friendly Governor lfeanyi Okowa was already working with security agencies to sanitise the state.
Addressing the protesters, the Delta state deputy commissioner of police at the state CID, who stood in for the commissioner of police, Mr. Wale Abba, assured the protesters that the perpetrators would be brought to book and justice upheld.
On his part, secretary to the state government, (SSG), Mr. Festus Agas, on behalf of the state government disclosed to the protesters that executive council had already directed that the culprits be brought to book.
Meanwhile, Delta State Police Command had stated that the culprits of the murder act had been arrested and investigations were ongoing.
