Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State has directed the immediate removal of a Director of Administration representing the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources on the board of the state’s oil producing areas development commission, ASOPADEC, for allegedly raping his 11-year-old housemaid to death last week.
The government, which announced the director’s removal yesterday, said he had been placed on interdiction, pending conclusion of his case by the police.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. Anthony Agbazuere, said the crime was heinous, adding that ASOPADEC had also been directed to take necessary action as the case progressed.
He pointed out that the suspect was only a civil servant representing the Ministry of Petroleum on the board of the commission and not a commissioner in the state executive council as alleged in some quarters.
Agbazuere explained that Section 358 of the Criminal Code of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was explicit on the issue, noting that the punishment for rape was life imprisonment.
He added that since the victim was dead, the issue of murder came in.
The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Joshak Habila, could not be reached for comments.
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