A 30-year old man has allegedly raped a 20-year old girl in Lagos, southwest Nigeria and uploaded her pictures on the internet.
The suspect, Olaniyan Oluwakayode, who hails from Osun State, allegedly raped the girl in his apartment at Ifako area of Lagos. He was arrested by the police and brought to the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, in handcuffs.
The victim (name withheld) from Akwa Ibom State, alleged that after being raped, Oluwakayode snapped her pictures despite pleas from his sister to desist from such barbaric act, saying Oluwakayode was never her boyfriend as he claimed.
“He stops me anytime I am going to work. He approached me and I told him I was not ready to give him a reply. I did not go to his house. On my way back from work on Tuesday last week, I saw someone running out of his house, because there is a bush around their compound so he jumped from the fence down and held my hand and said he wants to do what’s on his mind.
“So I asked him why would he do what’s on his mind when I have not even accepted his advances, he said he would do what is on his mind today; so he dragged me into the bush. When I wanted to shout, he brought out a knife and said if I shouted, he would kill me there.
“So from the bush, he dragged me to his house and locked the door. I tried all I could to open it but I couldn’t because the door is an iron door and very strong. He used his legs to hold my neck, he tore my skirt, my pant and my bra. He beat me very well on my head, neck and body and removed my pant and he slept with me. After he finished sleeping with me, I couldn’t shout again because he was beating me and forcing me to open my legs. When I refused, he also held my neck so I couldn’t shout,” she alleged.
According to her, when Oluwakayode’s sister came back around 9.00pm, she asked her brother to open the door, asking him if he wanted to kill somebody’s else child.
The victim said when he heard his sister shouting, he took her to the second room and still slept with her after which she urinated on the floor.
“His sister then came through the second window and pleaded with him to let me go, telling him that if she was the person that was being treated like that, would he be happy about it? I started crying. I am 20 years old and I work as an Office Assistant and I learnt Fashion Designing.
“He has been asking me out for a long time. I was never his girlfriend, I have my own boyfriend. He raped me with pains, even his sister was crying and he snapped me immediately and his sister even said she will call his mother because even if she was the one they did that thing to, he would even over react,” she stated.
The suspect, Oluwakayode denied raping her, saying she was his girlfriend.
“I was fighting with my girlfriend but they are accusing me of raping her. I never deny the fact that I snapped her picture when she was naked. We were fighting inside, but any other allegation levelled against me is a big lie. The only thing I did which I do not deny is that I snapped her naked picture.
“We were fighting inside and she has been hurting me for a very long period and we had an issue which made me delete her number. Last week, she flashed me. When I saw the strange number, I called the number back immediately. When I heard her voice, I asked her what she wanted because she told me that her name was Blessing, until we had the issue and she said her name is Comfort,” he explained.
According to him, he met her passing by in June when he approached her to ask her for her phone number, which she obliged.
“Immediately, I called her and on her way back, she flashed me and I called her back and we met. She even came to my house and we sat outside and talked. She agreed to date me. There was a day we spoke on phone and she was asking me if I had an apartment, I told her that I didn’t want to rush into anything, that I wanted to settle down in my business. I do branding in my house at Ifako.
“They said I raped her, but one thing is that I have a conscience and she also has a conscience and let our conscience judge. I believe with all the proof, the truth is that I never denied beating her, I did beat her with my head on her face and on her back when she held my manhood; so all the allegation of bringing out a powder, a knife and belt, I did not do it because I have a conscience and she has a conscience, that’s all,” he explained.
Director of Child Development, WAPA, Mrs. Alaba Fadairo said the case would be charged to court as it was a case of raping and uploading the pictures on the internet.
“From here, we are going to the court because it is an infringement on someone’s right. But it is not immediate because all the necessary tests have to be done, like the evidence, medical report and all. The most important thing is to ensure she has not been infected with HIV. The hospital should be able to prove to us to back up her claims
“You do not have to force a person to have your way. It has to be mutual consent. The most barbaric aspect is that it was done and it was aired. Where is the dignity of the woman? It shows the person is callous and wicked and I think we should allow the arm of the law take its course so that the girl could feel justice has been served,” she said.
Fadairo said the case would not be swept under the carpet except the victim herself was opting out, saying government would not give up.
“That’s why I am going to follow it up to the letter and see that the matter is handled. There is no going back.
“It’s a dent on the victim and it’s not about rape, it’s about putting her pictures on social media. I don’t think anyone will want to opt out. You also know the government has zero tolerance for issues of child abuse except we are not in the know. He is likely to face imprisonment, but the number of years is at the discretion of the court.”
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