Ado-Ekiti—Ikere Ekiti almost became a theatre of war recently, as students and commercial drivers engaged each other in a violent clash over alleged rape of a female student (names withheld).
The part two student of the College of Education, Ikere Ekiti, was alleged to have been raped by a commercial driver along College-Igbara Odo Way on Sunday. Bonfires at Ikere Ekiti during the clash. The lady, who was said to be have been down with malaria fever, went to town to seek medical treatment and was allegedly raped by a commercial driver at about 8p.m. Angered by the action, students, yesterday, trooped into the streets and descended on any commercial driver at sight. The melee caused traffic gridlock on the Ado-Ikere-Akure Road for several hours. Those travelling to Akure had to return to Ado-Ekiti. The violence also disrupted commercial activities at Odo-Oja area of Ikere Ekiti as many of shop owners and businesses closed shop and fled. It was gathered that the lady has been taken to hospital for medical treatment. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, described the rape as the highest point of criminality, which he said will not be tolerated. Adeyemi said normalcy had returned to the town and that the Police had launched a manhunt for the alleged rapist. He said: “The lady was sick and was being conveyed to the College when she was raped. The Police don’t tolerate any criminal act in any way and this won’t be an exemption. “We have launched a manhunt for the man. The Police are on his trail and we shall bring him to justice by the grace of God.”
culled from Guardian
