I bled profusely, fainted as ‘suspected ritualist’ raped me -11 -yr-old girl

Family says police asking for bribe to prosecute assailant

By Esther Onyegbula

When Mrs Lawal sent her 11-year-old grand-daughter (names withheld) on an errand to  deliver  okro  to  a customer, she did not envisage that the girl would be ambushed  not to talk of being raped.

The fate that befell the grand-daughter on November 29, 2015, at Pure Water Bus Stop along Lagos-Badagry Road,  was better imagined than experienced; she was found lying on a  culvert unconscious, with blood all over her body.

It was learned that victim was ambushed on her way to the next street when a 27-year-old  bakery worker, identified as Sule, allegedly ambushed her, dragged her to an uncompleted building and raped her.

It was alleged that Sule  then  abandoned the little girl  there. She regained conscious and barely able to walk out of the uncompleted building when she  collapsed on a culvert near Adebola International School, along palace road.

The suspect allegedly ran away after the rape, but police officers from Morogbo Divisional Police  Headquarters  apprehended  him  a week later.

Narrating her ordeal, the Primary 3 pupil  said: ‘’After my grandma returned from the market that day, she sent me to her customer who sells cooked food at the other street. She asked me to supply her fresh okro which the customer had  ordered for”.

‘’It was while I was on my way there  that uncle Sule, who works in a bakery at Itoro area,  called me. He said he wanted  to buy okro for his wife.  I told him  the okro  was not for sale, and that my mother’s friend had ordered for  it. He said I should follow him, but I refused. All of a sudden, he grabbed me and dragged me to an uncompleted building. When I tried to shout, he used his hand to cover my mouth. As I tried to struggle, he tore my clothes and removed my pants. He also used his nails to injure my back as I attempted to escape,  he over powered me and raped me.””

Mrs Lawal, the grandma, also gave her perspective of the incident. She stated: “After waiting for about 30 minutes for her to come back from the errand, I started looking for her because the place where she was supposed to take the okro to was the next street, less than 10 minutes’ walk. It was around  2pm that I asked her to go and give the okro to my customer who placed the order. After waiting for her to come, I started looking for her before an  Okada man came to alert me that they had found my grand-daughter at about 2:30pm, and that she was lying unconscious on a culvert close to Adebola School. When I got there, onlookers had gathered at the scene. I was pained at what I saw; my little girl soaked in her own blood, her clothes torn. It was obvious she had been raped, as she was  bleeding profusely, but because she was unconscious we didn’t know who was responsible. Immediately, I called my husband and he asked me to report the case to the police. When we got to Morogbo Police Station, they gave us police report and referred us to the General Hospital, Badagry.’’

She continued: “A  doctor’s report  from  the hospital  confirmed that my grand child was raped, as she had deep cuts and severe injuries inflicted on her virginal which caused the bleeding. The doctor stated that  because of complications arising from the rape, her womb had been affected and that she needed urgent surgery. So they referred us  to Igando General Hospital, along Iba -LASU road where they said they had the facility to handle her case.”’

Also speaking on the incident, Mr Lawal, the grandfather of the victim, said, “I was not at home when my wife called me that something terrible had happened. Immediately, I asked her to go the police station to report the case. I met her at Morogbo Divisional Police Station.

“From Badagry General Hospital, I had to charter a cab that took us to Igando General Hospital, but  because of traffic, we did not get  to Igando until around 11pm and, by 12 midnight, she was in the theater because of the serious nature of her case. She was on admission from that day till  Sunday when she was discharged.

‘’All we want is for justice to be done. Sincerely, we don’t know the effect of this rape on  this little girl. We don’t know if the rapist did it for ritual purposes. We want justice because we don’t know the outcome of this. Already, we have spent about N150, 000  on  the treatment and surgery she underwent. Currently, the police at Panti are demanding money to continue the prosecution of the case. One of them asked for N20, 000.”

It was gathered that the case was transferred from Morogbo to Lagos State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, Panti, for further investigation and the girl’s  torn clothes stained with blood are being  used as exhibits.

It was gathered that the victim, who is the first child of her mother, has been living with her grandparents since she was six years old.

I bled profusely, fainted as ‘suspected ritualist’ raped me -11 -yr-old girl

Pastor blames devil after raping teenager during deliverance

The Nasarawa State Police command on Monday arrested a 46 year-old pastor, Ifeanyi Bernard, for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in the Karu Local Government Area of the state.

Similar Rapist

According to police authorities, the alleged rape took place on November 3 when the pastor was performing deliverance on the teenager.

However, the pastor described the incident as the handiwork of the devil.

While parading the suspect at the Criminal Investigative Department, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sani Mohammed, said the suspect was apprehended following a report by the father of the victim, Mr. Martins Ijiwo.

According to the police, the cleric, who lives in the Alikima Mararaba area of the state, lured the victim into his house under the pretext of casting out demons from her.

The police boss said the cleric allegedly pushed her to his bed and raped her repeatedly.

The commissioner said the suspect threatened to kill the victim if she reported the incident to any member of her family.

However, when the father of the girl learnt of the incident, he reported the matter to the police. The police subsequently stormed the pastor’s home and arrested him.

Policemen also recovered bottles of anointing oil from the suspect’s home as well as a bedspread.

The CP said, “The pastor took advantage of his closeness to the girl’s family – who are members of his congregation – to rape their 13-year-old daughter under the guise of casting out demons from her.”

While speaking with our correspondent at the police command, the pastor confessed to the crime, adding that he didn’t know what came over him when he committed the crime.

He said, “I had been into evangelism for some years now and I have been casting out demons from people who have spiritual and family problems before I met this young girl through her father, Mr. Martins Ijiwo.

“I have been a friend of the family for quite some time.

“I used my anointing oil to lure her into my room and all of a sudden, I was carried away and before I knew what was happening, I saw myself making love to her.”

Meanwhile, the police have also arrested four suspects for allegedly kidnapping a Taiwanese, Mr. Chew Williams, on October 6.

“We collected the sum of N7m from the Taiwanese before releasing him,” the suspects said.

It was learnt, however, that the police were only able to recover N750, 000 from the suspects.

Pastor blames devil after raping teenager during deliverance

Oshiomhole seeks stiffer penalties for rapists

The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has called for stiffer penalties for persons convicted of rape, defilement and other forms of child abuse to serve as a deterrent to others.

He also urged the people of the state to stop giving alms to child beggars to discourage the rising trend of child beggars in the state.

Governor Oshiomhole

Oshiomhole, who spoke when he received members of the state chapter of International Federation of Women Lawyers who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, decried the rising cases of the menace in the state and the country which he described as “heinous crimes” that must be prosecuted diligently.

He said, “We have discussed this, time and again at our Executive Council meetings. And at a point, we asked the Attorney-General to review the laws such that the number of years a convict gets will commensurate with the severe nature of rape and defilement.

“We are concerned; we have discussed this and we have a feeling that the number of reported cases are on the increase. We also know that, because of the nature of our environment, there will be several others that may not even be reported at all.

“When you look at the sheer number of rape cases that are recorded, it is clear that across the country both rape and defilement cases are increasing. Therefore, this calls for tougher measures on the part of those strengthening the law and providing for stiffer and harsher punishments than what is currently obtained and to also ensure that the few cases that are reported are properly prosecuted with a view to securing conviction.”

The governor, however, noted that the state had recorded a high level of success in the fight against kidnapping and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that kidnappers were completely put out of business in the state.

He also said that the state government was taking steps to discourage street begging.

“I have directed the Commissioner for Women Affair to take firm measures to bring this incidence to an end; Edo cannot be a haven for beggars. We recognise the economic challenges but begging is not and will not be the solution and exposing children to begging is unhealthy.

“I will even appeal to Edo people not to give alms to child beggars because it doesn’t help as women and their fathers push these children to the street. They use them in the manner they do, hoping they will attract pity. The more pity we show to those kids, the more they are subjected to these dehumanising practices,” Oshiomhole added.

Earlier, the Chairperson of FIDA, Mrs. Stella Ojemen, said the organisation would continue to speak and protect women and children who suffer humiliation due the the violence meted out to them by the perpetrators.

Ojemen said, “Our duties are simple – to ensure that women and children who are confronted with all kinds of issues are protected. We are disturbed by the incidence of child labour and trafficking of women in the state and with the plight of widows who are being disturbed by the families of the husband.

“We are also worried about the maltreatment of women and children in crisis zones and we are really disturbed by all of these issues.”

Oshiomhole seeks stiffer penalties for rapists

Why I slept with my 11-year-old daughter — Confession of a father

0

By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi

How will you feel as a mother if your husband  sexually abuses your innocent daughter? This is the question a woman in Bauchi State is trying to come to terms with, as her husband, Abubakar Magaji, a resident of Liman Kagum in Bauchi local government, did the abominable act of having carnal knowledge of their 11-year-old daughter.

Abubakar Magaji

More shocking is the fact that it was not a one-act misadventure but a repeated one. But like a popular saying has it: Many days for a thief and one day for the owner, nemesis eventually caught up with the 45-year-old father when he was arrested and  paraded along with others at the Bauchi State command for rape.

When VM sought to know why Abubakar will abuse his own child  sexually, he confessed he was tempted by the devil. He added that he could not resist defiling his daughter when his wife left him because of a misunderstanding between them.

Questions from journalists

The father of four who was ashamed to lift his head while answering questions from journalists said: “I engaged in the ugly act because I had a misunderstanding with my wife and she left me. I am ashamed  of my self because it was temptation that led me to do it.

“I divorced her mother and married another wife but unfortunately  my wife also left me a month ago  so I needed a woman to be with; so that was why I did it. I also have a problem with my sexual libido. It is so terrible that I desire any woman I see, but what stops me from approaching them is that people respect me as a married man. So I felt the only way I could relieve my sexual tension was to sleep with my daughter, since she is so young and had no knowledge about sex.

“It was after I defiled her and I was arrested by the police that I understood the gravity of my offence. I can’t imagine that I did this to my own daughter. I regret my actions and I pray that God will forgive me”.

When VM visited the residence of the suspect at Liman Katagum, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis,  a neighbour to Abubakar who did not disclose his name, said that he was shocked to hear that Abubakar was arrested by  the police because he defiled his daughter. According to him: “ I was shocked when I discovered that Mallam Abubakar who I had a lot of respect for will stoop that low and sleep with an 11-year-old child that happens to be his daughter.

“This is the highest level of abomination and Islam is against such an act. No matter the excuse, a man does not have the right to defile a girl outside the confines of marriage. This is unacceptable and he deserves to be punished by the law”.

He called for severe punitive measures to be carried on rapists in the country, saying that will serve as a deterrent to those contemplating on engaging in such an act.

Reacting to the development, the state Commissioner of Police, Lawal,  Shehu  expressed worry over the increasing rate of rape cases in the state and vowed that all rape suspects will be charged to court and prosecuted. He said: “Since January, we have arrested over 10 suspected rapists, only this week we recorded over five cases. It is worrisome that among the suspects arrested is a 45-year-old man who raped his 11-year-old daughter and two aged men who are between 45 to 54 years who raped teenage girls of between two years and four years”.

“This is why I’m sounding a note of caution to parents,especially mothers, to always monitor the movement of their female children. I particularly want to warn mothers to be always on alert because rape is on the increase and teenagers and little children between five and fifteen years are now the victims.

“Any suspect arrested in connection with a rape case will be charged to court and be prosecuted; they should also know that the offence is not bailable. Even when  courts are on strike, the suspects will remain in detention till the strike is called off”.

 

Viewed 1 times
Why I slept with my 11-year-old daughter — Confession of a father

Mechanic abducts, rapes teenage girl for 5 days in Lokoja

By Boluwaji Obahopo

LOKOJA— A Lokoja senior magistrate’s court has remanded a 28-year-old mechanic, Abdulkadir Salihu, in prison custody for allegedly abducting and raping a teenage girl for five days.

Rapists

Mrs Joyce Abdulmalik of Lokoja Senior Magistrate Court 1 gave the order, yesterday, in her ruling on arraignment of the accused in Lokoja.

The accused was arraigned on a two-count charge of kidnapping and rape, being offences contrary to Sections 273 and 283 of the Penal Code Law.

Prosecuting police officer, Corporal Ubi Ubana, told the court that one Adama Ibrahim of Galilee Street, Lokoja reported the matter at the ‘A’ Division Police headquarters and Department of Criminal Investigation, Lokoja on October 23.

According to him, Ibrahim had alleged that on October 16, at about 1:25 pm, his niece (names withheld), aged 13, was sent to buy Okro from Adankolo New Layout Market, when the accused “enticed her into his house on Agbai Street.”

The accused, who he said did this without the consent of her guardian, also had carnal knowledge of the victim without her consent.

He added that Salihu went further to lock up the girl in his room from October 16 to 20 of same month, to enable him have unfettered access to her.

“During the period, he had sex with his captive for several times before releasing her on October 20,” he said.

Ubana who told the court that investigation into the case was ongoing, and urged it to remand the accused in Koton-Karfe prisons, in view of the enormity of his offence.

In her ruling, Abdulmalik upheld the submission of the prosecution and ordered that the accused be remanded at the Medium Security Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe and subsequently adjourned the case to November 10 for mention.

Viewed 1 times
Mechanic abducts, rapes teenage girl for 5 days in Lokoja

Rapists of minors to face death penalty - Confab recommends

*Others face life imprisonment

ABUA – THE National Conference has recommend death sentence to those found to have raped minors just as it recommended a life sentence to other rapists.

Delegates at Thursday’s plenary, while considering the report of the Conference Committee on Civil Society, Labour, Youths and Sports,chaired by Bola Ogunrinade,unanimously adopted the committee’s recommendation that death penalty be meted out to anyone found guilty of raping a minor.

They also unanimously agreed that any government official found guilty of embezzling public funds or monies meant for settling Pensioners be given  life imprisonment.

The conference also proposed 50 years imprisonment for any judicial officer found guilty of corruption or abuse of office and to be stripped of all official entitlements.

 

Viewed 1 times
Rapists of minors to face death penalty - Confab recommends