Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

Military authorities have handed over the soldier who allegedly raped a student of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko to the Ondo State Police Command for prosecution.

The victim, a 300-level student of the Department of Religious and African Studies of the university was earlier allegedly gang-raped by soldiers attached to the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian army, at Ikare, Akoko.

However, it later said that a soldier allegedly raped the student inside a shed at the checkpoint, when she was returning from school.

It was earlier reported that the student was gang-raped but investigations by the Nigerian Army revealed that only one of the soldiers committed the offence.

It was learnt that earlier before handing over, the suspect, who was identified as Sunday Adelola, he had been dismissed from the service by the army.

The Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, Brig. Gen. Zakari Abubakar had earlier promised to transfer the case to the police, after the alleged randy soldier must have been sacked and investigation concluded.

Abubakar, while speaking with journalists said justice would be done on the matter, saying the army would try the suspect internally and if found guilty, the suspect’s uniform would be removed after which he would be transferred to the police for further investigation and prosecution.

A source in the barracks confirmed to our correspondent that the suspect had been sacked before he was 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.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the state command, Mr. Femi Joseph, confirmed the development and said the suspect would soon be charged to court.

He said: “I can confirm to you that the soldier has been handed over to us; he will soon be charged to court,” Joseph stated.