There is outrage in Nigeria following the murder of a 22-year-old student, Uwavera Omozuwa in a church.
The hashtag #JusticeForUwa is trending in Nigeria, with her family appealing for help to track down her killers.
Uwavera had been studying in a “quiet” church near her home in Benin City when she was killed, her sister, Judith, told BBC Pidgin.
The student, who had wanted to become a nurse, died in hospital on Saturday, three days after the attack.
Judith Omozuwa said her sister had also been raped.
Her family said they received a call from a woman at the Redeemed Christian Church of God on Wednesday evening.
Uwavera was taken to hospital after a security guard found her, her skirt torn and her shirt covered in blood, Judith Omozuwa said.
‘Failure to curb gender-based violence’
However, a police spokesperson in southern Edo State, whose capital is Benin City, told BBC Pidgin that they were treating the incident as a murder, not a rape, case.
The student died following a fight at the church, the spokesperson added, without giving more details.
Uwavera had only just been admitted to the University of Benin to study microbiology when she was killed.
She often went to sit and “read” at the church near her house as it was quiet, her sister added.
Unconfirmed reports in local media said a group of men had entered the church, raping Uwavera and hitting her with a fire extinguisher.
On Tuesday, many Nigerians were angered after a policeman allegedly shot dead a 16-year-old girl, Tina Ezekwe, in the commercial capital, Lagos.
The officer was arrested, police said.
On Twitter, many Nigerians expressed concern about the government’s failure to tackle gender-based violence, and questioned whether parents were bringing up boys properly.
Few days ago, #JusticeForTina was trending. Today, it is #JusticeForUwa. The Nigerian state must do all to protect our young girls. Their lives matter and any criminal who attacks and ends it brutally must be brought to justice.3,3759:29 AM – May 31, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy2,178 people are talking about this
Uwa’s story breaks me. We all have to admit that our parents have failed woefully in the raising of the male child. Concentrating too much on the conduct of the female child when it’s actually the males who have the higher propensity to do evil! #JusticeForUwa7,6037:56 AM – May 31, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy5,929 people are talking about this
@GovernorObaseki if it’s not too much we’d like some update on the whereabouts of Uwa’s killers.
Did you hear about Uwa? Uniben undergraduate who went to read in her church in Benin and got raped and murdered… Counting on your good office to get #JusticeForUwa
Thank you
@PoliceNG do you have any leads? Will you protect us? Anyone of could have been Uwa.
Is there an investigation?
Please let us know
We only demand #JusticeForUwa7912:10 PM – May 31, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy97 people are talking about this
No where seems safe anymore … not school, not the market, not the street, not in your own house and not even the CHURCH! #JusticeForUwa4582:22 PM – May 31, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy141 people are talking about this BBC
