Victim Narrates : How I was drugged, raped, fired from Air force

When the chair, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, Delta State, Mr. Benefit Orugbo, called me on phone, about a fortnight ago, and said that he had a spine chilling case of human rights abuse in his hands, I did not understand the brutality of the matter and almost ignored the issue.

However, it was not until Warri Reporter, EGUFE YAFUGORHI, detailed to meet the victim at an agreed venue reported his encounter with Igbobi Beauty Uzezi, an Air Police of the Nigerian Air-force, NAF, with Personal Service Number, NAF10/25157F, that the reality dawned on me.

The air-force officers she complained to and sought help before the hammer fell on her, queried why she chose to make trouble with the officer, pointing out that she was not the only female personnel to pass through the ordeal.Uzezi, who hails from Bayelsa state, revealed that an Air-force officer (names withheld) drugged, raped and infected her with a Sexually Transmitted Diseases, STD, and the said officer detained and tortured her through proxies for daring to expose him and finally got her dismissed from the Airforce.

They detained her in a cell with a mad woman, chained her to the bed in the hospital, locked for several days without food to force her to forgo justice.  She refused to surrender and was court marshaled after she threatened to shoot one of the air-force officers used to intimidate her, who allegedly wanted to disarm her.

The court marshal was a leeway for those who want her thrown out of NAF, as the case was getting messier by then. Systematically, they congested her with drugs and a physician diagnosed of critical depression disorder, CBD, paving way for her final discharge.

Igbobi appeared dehumanized when she spoke to Niger Delta Voice, NDV, and what ricocheted throughout the interview was her cry for justice. This interview, first in the series of our reports into and alleged Nigeria Air-force rape scandal is hair-raising. Will she get justice?

Editor.

Tell us about your enlistment into the Air Force

My name is Igbobi Beauty Uzezi. I enlisted into the Nigerian Airforce August 18, 2010 when I was 18. My Personal Service Number is NAF10/25157F with seniority of Air Craft Woman, ACW, in 19 February 2011. On 17 May, 2011, two months and 10 days after my passing out from the Nigeria Air Force basic military training, Kaduna, I was posted to 335 Base Services Group, Kaduna as an Air Police. We reported March 7 2011.

How did your ordeal start?

On that May 17, 2011, at about 8.00 pm, I received a phone call from a strange number. From the conversation, I discovered that the caller was one of our training instructors on general service knowledge during our training (names withheld by NDV).    He said I should come to the Protestant Church inside the Nigerian Air Force Base, Kaduna.

With lots of conviction as our former training instructor and his claim that he was in Kaduna for a special assignment of which I do not know, I obliged his strange invitation. Getting to the church, I saw him and another instructor, who also trained us, Sgt. Hossan and my course mate, who he said gave him my phone number, ACM Bello and a woman I do not recognize.

He said he trained me and asked if I was scared of being with him. He said I should not entertain any fear with my course mate on the movement. I joined them out of sheer respect and having no thought of any sinister motive.He said I should join them to the Nigeria Defence Academy, NDA old site. I asked why I have to join them because there was Kafachan crisis in Kaduna then. He said they were going to drop the woman companion at the NDA old site and return.

At the point they ought to drop the unknown woman, I heard Sgt Hossan tell the officer (instructor),”Oga, after we train recruit finish, e no go do something for your godson?”

Opposite the place we supposedly came was the Communicator Mess. At that point, I asked excused myself to urinate, but before I left, I overheard him ordering two wines and barbecue fish. I eased myself, came back and he gave me a glass of wine.

Drugged

I took the glass of wine, not knowing he had drugged it for me. I was urging to return home because it was late and there was crisis. We entered the vehicle and proceeding a little, they dropped the woman. At the Air Force Base, Kaduna, I stayed behind the Aeromedical Hospital, opposite a branch of Oceanic Bank, now Ecobank.

Approaching there, I said I want to drop, but Sgt Hossan said they wanted to drop the instructor in his own quarters before coming to drop me. From their discussion, I discovered Hossan stays in Block B next to my Block C.

We proceeded further and Bello dropped. At JD Quarters where the officer resides, they parked opposite his apartment. He and Sgt Hossan came down discussing while I was inside the vehicle.

The instructor came to me and said I should come into his apartment to wait at the parlor while he finished his discussion with Sgt Hossan, who happened to be owner of the car we drove in. I was hoping as my immediate neighbor, he would take me home after dropping off instructor, the last man remaining besides me.