By Abasi Ita
The family of late Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, a 22-year-old undergraduate of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), has renewed its call for justice over her rape and murder inside a church in Benin City, Edo State.
Uwaila, a final-year student of Microbiology, was attacked on May 27, 2020, while studying at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City. She was reportedly assaulted and sexually violated before being struck on the head with a fire extinguisher.
She was later discovered unconscious in a pool of blood by a church security guard and rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, where she died three days later, on May 30, 2020.
Speaking during a remembrance prayer held at her graveside, members of the Omozuwa family expressed deep frustration over what they described as prolonged delays and repeated adjournments in court proceedings connected to the case.
A family representative lamented that several years after the incident, justice had remained elusive, compounding the pain of losing their daughter and sister under such tragic circumstances.
The family appealed to the Edo State Government and relevant security and judicial authorities to ensure that the case is concluded and that those responsible for the crime are held accountable.
They also urged Nigerians and human rights groups to continue to speak out against gender-based violence, stressing that justice for Uwaila would serve as a deterrent and restore public confidence in the justice system.
Uwaila’s death in 2020 sparked nationwide outrage and renewed conversations around safety, sexual violence and security in places of worship and public spaces across the country.