A High Court in Otu-Jeremi, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, has ordered the remand of Okiemute Kasia in Okere Correctional Facility in Warri. He is accused of repeatedly assaulting his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter.
Comrade Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, the National Coordinator of the Initiative for Social Rights Concerns and Advancement (ISRCA), confirmed the court’s decision on October 29, 2024. Justice A.A. Onojovwo presided over the hearing and ordered Kasia’s remand based on available evidence.
“On the 10th of October 2024, I made a post about a defilement case we intercepted, where two years old little Eleora Onovuze’s innocence was tempered by her would be step father, Mr. Okiemute Kasia,” he wrote.
“The suspect was first arrested at Otu-Jeremi; I later facilitated the transfer of the case to the Ughelli Area Command. Yesterday, I led a delegation accompanied by little Eleora’s family to the High Court in Otu-Jeremi, where Mr. Okiemute Kasia was arraigned before the judge and was later remanded to the Nigeria Correctional Service, Okere, in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, awaiting further trials before persecutions, going by the evidences available before the court.
“The face of the suspect would be kept away from the public, until he’s convicted by the court or otherwise. Special thanks to the DPO, DCO 1, Otu-Jeremi Divisional Police Station and the Ughelli Area Commander, Delta State Police Command for their efforts, ensuring two years old Eleora gets justice.”
Meanwhile, in an earlier statement, the activist said that in September, 2023, his attention was drawn to the child defilement case after the victim’s mother noticed that she had been tempered by a yet to be identified person.
“The mother noticed that her vulvar was swollen, accompanied by complaints from little Eleora, who cried bitterly whenever she tried urinating,” he explained.
“Quickly, we had a doctor’s appointment, where the doctor had confirmed that there was a penetration on little Eleora, going by the discharges she was having. We were so skeptical about everything, especially when there were no suspects. We approached her school but going by the surroundings, we concluded that the penetrator wasn’t within the school premises and then I asked that we watch out for someone within the neighbourhood, who had access to little Eleora.
“Unfortunately, the mother replied, that there was no one apart from her fiancé, as she’s separated with her child’s dad. Again, I warned that we watched closely on Eleora’s would be stepdad, named Mr. Okiemute Kasia while I suggested that they get her into another school. In between the period I instructed the mother to watch closely on her fiancé, the mother most times, wakes up at night and notices strange things. At first, the mother woke up to see the daughter’s private part turned in the direction of her fiancés’ mouth and immediately she checked little Eleora’s body and the vulva was swollen, like if it was immediately tempered.
“She held the fiancé by his neck, but the fiancé denied coupled with other experiences she noticed when her fiancé most times bathes little Eleora. There were agreements between both of them not to sleep together in one room and on the same bed where little Eleora sleeps, so the awful experiences stopped until recently again.”
According to him, the mother of the victim gave preference to her relationship over little Eleora, “not even considering the psychological effects it has on her growth.”
“She never reverted back to me until now. She waited for this new term, where she had registered Eleora into another private school (withheld) at Otokutu to better be convinced even when she caught him red handed,” he continued.
“Again, the mother noticed the same thing but this time the vulvar was extremely swollen. The mother had recalled that on Monday, the fiancé was the one who picked her from school, while she went to the market. It was later that evening when little Eleora tried urinating, the pains became so unbearable that she had to scream, calling on her mum while she noticed the swell on her vulvar. First, we took her to Eleora’s school but the learning environment had spoken more, that such an incident wouldn’t have occurred in the new school considering her peers, CCTV installment and the limits they have in the premises.
“Though, we registered our frustrations and the need for the school to be vigilant in the protection of children. It was at this moment, she fell on her knees to narrate her awful experiences all these while and why Mr. Okiemute must be stopped. We immediately proceeded to the General Hospital at Otu-Jeremi alongside Police Officers from the Otu-Jeremi Divisional Police Station after we officially complained.
“It was confirmed by the medical doctor that little Eleora’s innocence had been tampered, even from its view. It was a sad moment as the nurses present couldn’t hold back their tears considering her age. She’s just two years old and currently traumatized!
Agberen noted that “the girl-child sexual abuse has high risk-health implications and as such, should not be tolerated by any right thinking person. It is inhuman and it contravenes the Child Rights Act of 2003.”
