By Anayo Okoli

Umuahia-ABIA State House of Assembly has summoned the Vice Chancellor of Abia State University, Uturu, Professor Chibuzor Ogbuagu, and state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bala Hassan, over the controversial gang rape of a young girl allegedly by five young men said to be students of the university.

They were invited by the House to brief members on the matter, especially on the level of investigation so far conducted by the two institutions.

In the mean time, the House has commenced its own investigation into the matter, with a view to getting to the root of the ugly incident.

Their invitation followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Aba North State Constituency and House Committee Chairman on Women Affairs, Mrs. Blessing Nwagba, who described the devilish act as “degradation in womanhood”.

In moving the motion, Nwagba said though the university authority had denied any link with the ugly incident, the House could not keep quiet on the matter, especially as it was giving the state a bad image.

Speaking to journalists shortly after briefing the House at its executive session yesterday, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Chibuzor Ogbuagu, maintained the position of the university that the incident did not happen in the university or anywhere around the institution.

According to him, the university’s preliminary investigation into the incident showed that the gang rape incident did not take place in the institution or by students of the university.

Ogbuagu said he strongly suspected the linking of the rape case to his institution as the work of mischief makers he described as “monkey’s hand”

Maintaining its position, the vice chancellor, however, said the university had since thrown its gates open to security agencies to carry out thorough investigation, even as he called on anybody with useful information on the matter to avail security operatives of it.

Also speaking to newsmen after his own briefing, the state Police Commissioner, Bala Hassan, said the police was on top of investigation into the incident.

He said the police had so far arrested two suspects, and explained that all evidences so far did not support that they were involved in the matter.

Hassan said the incident could have taken place anywhere in the world, stressing that non-appearance of the victim was also making investigation very difficult for the police.

He called on the victim to show up as she would be adequately protected by security agencies.