Peace Corps of Nigeria reacts to reported rape of teen by cadet: 'A calculated effort to dress our organization in borrowed robes'
"The attention of #PeaceCorpsofNigeria has been drawn to a publication which appeared in the nationonlineng.net and also rebroadcast on several other platforms, alleging that a Cadet of our organization raped a 17-year Old female student of a neighboring school named St. Charles Grammar School in Osun State.
To say that our organization is scandalized by this report is to be guilty of understatement and for want of a better expression, the aforementioned report smacks of a calculated attempt to tar the PCN with the brush of an unserious organization that harbors criminal elements in its fold. Nothing could be further from the truth.
It is heart-rending to say the least that after series of fruitless efforts by enemies of the Corps to drag its name to the mud, some faceless elements would still engage in the malicious game of formulating fresh allegations, aimed at distracting the PCN Management from its noble goals.
But after a thorough investigation of the unhealthy, immoral and inhuman act, we have discovered that the alleged suspect, Mr Olalekan Imran is neither a staff Officer of our Organization nor is he in any way connected or linked to us. It might interest Nigerians to know that PCN concluded her one-month Initial Training and Orientation with Passing-Out-Parade on the 2nd of July, 2016 in Osun State.
It is heart-rending to say the least that after series of fruitless efforts by enemies of the Corps to drag its name to the mud, some faceless elements would still engage in the malicious game of formulating fresh allegations, aimed at distracting the PCN Management from its noble goals.
But after a thorough investigation of the unhealthy, immoral and inhuman act, we have discovered that the alleged suspect, Mr Olalekan Imran is neither a staff Officer of our Organization nor is he in any way connected or linked to us. It might interest Nigerians to know that PCN concluded her one-month Initial Training and Orientation with Passing-Out-Parade on the 2nd of July, 2016 in Osun State.
It should be on record that only fully trained Officers are posted to schools or other institutions of learning in accordance with the precepts of the PCN #AlternativeEmploymentScheme. It is equally sad to note that despite protestations from the suspect, Mr. Olalekan Imran that he was not a Staff Officer of our Organization, he was still paraded as such.
The suspect was described as a cadet of PCN, whereas a cadet is a student of a military or paramilitary school who is training to be an officer. Judging from its official policy, PCN does not post cadets to institutions, rather it posts only trained and commissioned officers for such assignments.
The report, from all intents and purposes, is a calculated effort to dress our organization in borrowed robes. As a matter of fact, no attempt was made to crosscheck from our State Command office in Oshogbo rather, the suspect was paraded before the press as a ‘’Cadet’’ of our Organization. This anomaly would have been averted if our office in Oshogbo was contacted for clarification.
PCN has been in existence for eighteen years with Headquarters in FCT, Abuja and a network of well-structured branches across the 36 states of the Federation with Staff Officer Membership of over 113, 800 Regular Staff and over 70,000 Volunteers. It is gladdening to note that there has never been any record of such barbaric act of rape in the 18-year history of our corporate existence.
Just recently, PCN participated in a National Youth Summit on Drugs and Substance Abuse organized by the African Youth Initiative on Crime Prevention with the American Embassy in partnership. Furthermore, the Corps affiliation to the United Nations affirms in bold relief her position on acts of terrorism, violence, dehumanization, drug and substance abuse and ultimately the heinous crime of rape which our Organization condemns in its entirety
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