The Nigeria Army has dismissed Lance Corporal Adelola, an officer accused of raping a female student of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko [AAUA], Ondo State, at a military checkpoint along Ikare Akoko-Akungba Akoko road,THE OBSERVERS TIMES can confirm.
The unidentified victim is a 300-level student of the Department of Religous and African Studies of AAUA.
She was gang-raped by soldiers attached to the 32 Artillery Brigade of the army inside a shed at the checkpoint, while the student was returning from the school.
The arrest of soldiers was confirmed by the Brigade Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Akure, Ondo State, Brig. Gen. Zakari Abubakar.
According to Brig. Gen. Abubakar, the brigade had launched investigation into the matter.
According to the latest development, the Army said it had handed over the suspect to the Ondo State Police Command for prosecution.
It was earlier reported that the student was gang-raped but Army investigation revealed that only one of the soldiers committed the offence.
Brig. Gen. Abubakar had promised to transfer the case to the police after the accused soldier must have been sacked and the investigation concluded.
A source in the barracks confirmed to Punch that he (Lance Corporal Adelola) had been tried and he had been sacked before he was later handed over to the police.
The source said, “He has been sacked from service and he has been transferred to the police for prosecution.
“The army does not tolerate indiscipline,” he added.
When contacted the Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Mr. Femi Joseph, confirmed the development and said the suspect would soon be charged to court.
“I can confirm to you that the (former) soldier has been handed over to us, we will soon charge him to court,” Joseph stated.