Another sad story on intentional wrongful accusation like the ‘central park five’ is the case of two interstate transporters, Mr. Jude and Mr. Philip (pseudo names) who were accused by a female passenger of rape.
Earlier on that day, an altercation had broken out in the course of their journey from Zuba to Jabi, Abuja, during which the passenger smashed Mr. Jude’s phone. In response, Mr. Jude seized the passenger’s phone and insisted that she fix his cracked phone before he would return her phone.
The lady in collusion with her boyfriend afterwards framed the dou up with rape as a result of which they were arrested.
The Investigating police officer (IPO) instead of investigating the facts to ascertain the veracity of the allegation, requested for money from the accused persons, which the defendants could not afford.
Mr. Jude and Mr. Philip had to face torture in the notorious (SARS office Abbatoir) where they were unlawfully detained for 2 months before being charged at the Upper Area Court 1 Karu, Abuja where they were first granted bail but were later charged again at the Apo High Court, Abuja before they could perfect the bail.
Luck shined on the them when REJA met with them in 2023, 2 years after their arrest.
We took up the case and perfected their bail pending the time the case is seen to a logical conclusion.
In the meantime, REJA is supporting them with proper reintegration into the society and providing them with answers to their questions.