ABDULMUMUNI Danga, Commissioner for Water Resources in Kogi State has been charged to court by the Nigerian Police  over allegations of rape and battering of one Elizabeth Oyeniyi.

Danga  is being arraigned on a seven-count charge including rape, brutality, coercion and torture. He is to appear before a Federal High Court in Abuja. This comes five months after he was alleged to have committed the crimes.

Police sources said the Commissioner was  interrogated at the Force Headquarters, Abuja on June 2 and July 5, 2020 before the charges against him were made public.

It could be recalled that Danga had dismissed allegations of rape and brutalising Oyeniyi over a Facebook post the 23-year-old made sometime in March, when The ICIR reached out to him.

He had at the time told The ICIR during a brief phone call that he was unwilling to talk about the issue when it was raised.

“I don’t want to talk too much please, let’s just leave the case the way it is,” Danga responded.

The Commissioner who is currently serving in the cabinet of Yahaya Bello, Governor of Kogi State was contacted via a Facebook post by Oyeniyi to help his sister and family financially the same way he has been helping others. But Oyeniyi’s comment upset him.

According to the victim, the Commissioner sent thugs to kidnap her and her three-year-old son from their home and they were whisked to an unknown location where she was striped naked and severely beaten.

Thereafter, Oyeniyi said she was raped by Danga, who made sure she stayed overnight just to have his way with her.

A group of Civil Society Organisations led by Dorothy Njemanze Foundation called on the authorities to ensure justice was served. Subsequently, the Governor of Kogi State  ordered an investigation into the allegations against Danga.

Danga is to answer to offences including falsification of documents and threatening medical officer to forge test result, having carnal knowledge of Oyeniyi without her consent, inflicting physical injury and torture by flogging, PT reports.