ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State government has visited the undergraduate, Miss Deborah Emafidon, who recently escaped suspected ritual killing in the state.
The government vowed to ensure the prosecution of a suspected ‘Yahoo’ ritualist, Sunday Ojo, arrested last week by the police in collaboration with community youths in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state while at the point of allegedly beheading Miss Emafidon, an undergraduate of state-owned Niger Delta University, Amassoma, for ritual purposes.
The government, through its Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT), led by its Chairman, Dise Ogbise, said though the police investigation was ongoing, it was ready to make available legal representations to ensure diligent prosecution of the matter.
On Wednesday, Ogbise and other members of the team, visited Emafidom at the hospital and informed her that the visit was to assure her of the state government’s support to secure justice for her.
A statement by the Media Officer, GRIT, Hajiya Mariam Abeki, said that in line with its mandate to curb gender-based violence in the state, members of the committee took out time to visit the victim, who is currently on admission at a hospital.
The statement said: “Emafidon is the final year student of the Niger Delta University (NDU) that was bathed with a substance suspected to be an acid and almost killed by a suspected ‘Yahoo’ ritualist who has been arrested by the police and now custody.
“The essence of the visit was to assure her of the government’s support and the assurances of providing psychosocial and legal support to get justice for her.”
The statement indicated that the team also visited the Bayelsa State Police Command with promises of commitment to a proper investigation of the case.
Recall that the operatives of the state security outfit, Operation Doo Akpo, had last week apprehended Ojo in Ogobiri community in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State while allegedly attempting to behead Emafidon for ritual purposes.
Both the suspect and the victim are said to be indigenes of Edo State.