A heartfelt message; following the murder of Miss Rita Awele - a 200 level student of the University of Benin - by the Nigerian Army
May I first plead for the attention of the media, the bloggers, the Civil Society Organizations, the Human Rights Community and all souls devoid not of human compassion. This is a moment of less words, for a black flag is flying over UNIBEN's head. At the moment, the Nigerian Army has served before the students of the University of Benin, a bitter meal.
Yesterday, the 19th of July 2015, at about 10:15AM, those whose allegiance it is to defend our territory and protect our lives did sadly squeezed life out of an innocent student. Just about two years after the premeditated murder and burial of Momodu Ibrahim, a final year student of the UNIBEN by Mrs. Carol Afegbai (the Divisional Police Officer of Ogida police station, as at the time the crime was committed), gloom and anguish have again fallen upon the students of the University of Benin, as a reckless and allegedly drunk soldier in an army vehicle with the inscription: THUNDER STORM PATROL 28, knocked down two female students of the University. As I struggle to pour down these words, Rita Awele is gone; that promising intellectual from the department of Philosophy is no more
However, this is no moment of lamentation, but of action - conscious action. A meeting of which I participated was summoned by the timely intervention of the faculty of Arts president at the Students' Union parliamentary hall, some hours before the end of yesterday. While the leadership of the Students' Union embarrassingly doubted the turnout of the students should a call for mobilization was echoed and then insisted that every students' reaction against the murder should be suspended till Tuesday, the students of the Faculty of Arts, led by the Faculty president, rejected such an unfounded position. This however spurred a loud disagreement. But finally, it was resolved that, by today, there shall be a Media Address by the Students' Union president and the Faculty of Arts president, while the general students shall be duly mobilized in free buses down to the media houses in solidarity with our slew sister.
With this note, I however encourage the noble students of the University of Benin to stand up in honour of our dear sister to demand the prosecution of the culprit(s), to demand a compensation of the bereaved family and to demand the construction of a pedestrian bridge at the UNIBEN main-gate for the forestall of similar occurrence.
The manslaughter of Miss. Rita is nothing less than a blatant dare of the UNIBEN students, and as a whole, Nigerian students. An injury to one, let no one forget, is an injury to all!
