James 127 Orphanageof Rape

BY KENNETH JUDE

The owner of James 127 Orphanage Home in Ikpa, Esit Eket local government area of the State, Evans Udoekaisong, popularly known as  Bishop Evans who was accused of impregnating a young girl in her teens is threatening to deal with the innocent mother of one.

The home, located in Esit Eket was where the victim, Enobong (not her real name) who is an orphan lived and was catered for by the said Bishop until he (Bishop) reportedly started sleeping with her from the tender age of 12. In the process, he reportedly got the girl pregnant and threatened to deal with her if she told anyone that he is responsible for the pregnancy.

It was gathered that Bishop Udo told Enobong not to tell anybody about her condition or reveal that he is behind her pregnancy so that she will not die. A man from the community where the Motherless’ Home is situated whose name was given as Mr. Ita was said to have been coerced by Bishop Evans to own up to the pregnancy. The authenticity of this claim could not be immediately established as at press time.

With threats from Bishop on the girl not to tell anybody that he’s behind her pregnancy mounting, the matter came to light and the girl was rescued from the grasp of Bishop and his home by another Motherless’ Care Home where she stayed until she gave birth.

Sensing that Bishop Evans was on the lookout for Enobong apparently to ‘deal’ with her and bring her back to his home, the home that undertook to care for Enobong until she put to bed transfered her to Way to Nation Outreach, another Caregivers’ Home where she continued her education that was truncated by her pregnancy. The home has been taking care of her feeding, welfare  and education to date.

While in school, it was gathered from reliable sources that Enobong made several attempts to run away apparently in order not to be seen by Bishop Evans but often met a brick wall as the home ensured that she did not put her self in a more precarious condition. Her reason for wanting to run away could not be ascertained at the time of going to press but sources who preferred anonymity hinted our reporter that her reason for wanting to run away was to escape from the grips of Bishop Evans who often accost her on the way to school trying to talk her into abandoning Way to Nation Outreach taking care of her and her baby and comeback to him.

With this development becoming a daily occurrence and determined to ensure the safety of Enobong and her baby, the home took the case to court praying the court to order for Enobong and her baby to be handed over to Akwa Ibom State government and specifically to be taken care by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare to avoid any untoward event befalling her and the baby.

The case was so ruled and the Ministry of Women Affairs was reportedly served the court order through its Commissioner, Dr. Glory Edet.

THE INK gathered that the Commissioner refused to take in Enobong and her baby even when she received the court order mandating her ministry to take custody of the mother and her baby. When our reporter probed to know why she did not accept to take care of the young mother and her baby, no reason was given for her decision.

  Our reporter gathered further that the home (Way to Nation Outreach) under whose care Enobong and her baby are, are worried that she may run away one day perhaps to the man that got her pregnant as he is said to be in constant touch with her, not necessarily out of her own freewill but because Evans, it was learnt, often sees her going to school and often seizes the opportunity to talk with her.

The feeling is that Bishop’s plans for the girl and her baby is unknown hence the need to ensure that Enobong remains under close watch in the home. This, THE INK learnt has affected Enobong negatively in school as she is not emotionally and psychological stable to face her studies plus her baby and the trauma she is undergoing as a young mother abused by an elderly man old enough to be her father.

According to a source who pleaded anonymity, the thinking of the caregivers at the Way to Nation Outreach is that remaining in Eket is not safe for Enobong as Bishop Evans, the man who impregnated her, may find out that she’s there and may want to harm her and the baby as he battles to save his face from the shame hanging over his neck given that she constantly accosts her on her way to and from school.

Meanwhile, a High Court sitting in Eket last Thursday ordered the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Glory Edet to appear before it on 19th October, 2017 to explain why she disobeyed the court order earlier served her. It was gathered that she (Glory Edet) has yet to be served the order at the time of filing this report.

Way to Nation Outreach, it was learnt, filed the case in order to inform the court that the first order handed to the Ministry of Women Affairs and social Welfare was flouted by Dr. Glory Edet who gave no reasons for disobeying the court order. 

Delivering the judgement, the judge described the action of the Commissioner as contempt of court hence should appear and explain why she flouted the court order duly served her. 

Efforts to reach Bishop Evans was not successful as his known phone line was not connecting.