The Suleja Deaf Emirate Development Association (SEDDA) has urged security agencies to ensure that justice is done to prosecute a young man who raped a deaf old woman as well as other cases involving several victims in Niger State and Nigeria in general.
Chairman of SEDDA, Comrade Musa Inuwa in a letter shortly after a protest, called on law enforcement agencies as well as courts to take the recent rape cases inflicted on deaf old woman by the rapist seriously and to see that the rapist faces the full wrath of the law.
He noted that deaf people within the community were going through a lot of challenges, noting that many families of deaf people find it difficult to take care of their deaf family members as a result of extreme poverty they are living in.
According to him, this condition has pushed most of deaf people to be school dropouts and eventually resorted to street begging.
He also said many poverty stricken families are not financially buoyant to send their children to school, adding that lack of regular scholarship from government and wealthy private organizations for people living with disabilities especially deaf cluster makes most of the children drop out of schools even before completing their primary and secondary education.
“Those that dropped out of school halfway their academic pursuit, some applied to acquire skills in vocational training and there are others in few number struggled on their own without any support from government or private organizations to gain various certificates such as NCE, Degree, National Diploma And Diploma, but sadly enough, after struggling they faced yet with another serious challenge, which is unemployment,” Inuwa said.
Recommending the way out, he appealed for the appointment of Special Adviser to the Executive Chairman on disabilities affair who will advice on how to provide for person with disabilities including rehabilitation, anti-street begging, empowerments, employment, agricultural training as well as locally and internationally activities in areas related to health safety and sports.
“I am of the opinion that if those challenges are addressed and the recommendations are taken seriously and implemented within local government councils across states and within state government level, the problems of such crimes like rape, street begging, school dropouts and as well as taking care of less privileged within people living with disabilities both the old and young, the change in our living standard will be achieved,” he said.
He also thanked the Vice Chairman of Suleja Local Government, Hon. Garba Biba for his assurance that the government at the local level will ensure that all perpetrators of rape are brought to book.
The Vice Chairman also informed members of SEDDA that the administration was committed to providing employment, empowerment and appointment for its members.
“I also thank the police of Suleja, DSS, FRSC for cooperating with us and our appreciation also goes to FOMWAN, NCWS and NASS NHQ Suleja who joined us in this struggle in order to see that the rapist is brought to the book to face the wrath of the law,” Inuwa concluded.