Two sisters identified as Essiet, 18, and Debby, 20, (not real names) were raped by a gang of six men at Ogundero/ Dahomey street in the Bariga area of Lagos state on Thursday May 28th. According to Punch, the sisters were returning from the hospital when they were accosted by the hoodlums. 4 of the men raped raped Essiet who was a virgin while two of the hoodlums raped Debby.
“It happened on May 21 around 11pm. My sister and I went to give food to a family member who had just given birth to a baby in Oworonsoki. We were returning in the night when we saw the men. They had guns, cutlasses and other weapons. They waylaid us and said if we shouted they would kill us. They took us to a spot around Dahomey junction and raped us.”
Debby who is older, described the incident as a painful experience
"Two of them raped me, while four raped my sister. The third man wanted to rape me when a car approached. They all took to their heels. It was a painful experience. I have taken different medications and visited the hospital as well.”
Meanwhile one of the hoodlums was arrested a day after the incident as Derby was able to recognize him while he was passing through the same street where they were raped. Another one was also arrested.
"We were able to recognize him because when they were raping us, he took my phone and also shouted at me to stop looking at him. We saw his face clearly. I just want them to go to jail for what they have done to us.”
When interrogated, the suspects, 21 year old Mayowa Adeniji and 25 year old Riliwan Oladapo denied been involved in the crime.
One of them Mayowa, who claims to be a singer, said he was at a Night club when he and the other suspect, Dapo were arrested
“I am an artiste by profession and my stage name is D. Dot. I have released several albums that are being aired on radio stations. I have been doing music for the past 11 years and I have done collaborations with many artistes in this country. Though I am a street guy, I know what I am doing. On the day the police came to arrest me, I was having fun with my back-up artiste and there were five girls at my beck and call. I didn’t know why they came to arrest me until I got to the station and saw these small girls saying we raped them. I have never met them in my life and I don’t know what they are talking about.”he said
A family member of the victims, Christopher Iheme, said they are pained by the fact that their daughter, Essiet lost her virginity to the rapists. According to him, family members of the suspects have been begging them to not go further with the case.
“We have spent a lot of money on their treatment. But that is not the issue. It is painful for us because the 18-year-old was deflowered by the gang. We are worried that her elder sister might be pregnant. But we will take her to the hospital for a checkup. The families of the two suspects have been begging and asking us to name our price. But we want them punished to serve as a deterrence to others like them,” he said.
Lagos state Police spokesperson, Kenneth Nwosu while confirming the incident said "“We have arrested the suspects and transferred them to the Department of Criminal Investigation, Panti, Yaba. I am also aware that the detectives have taken the suspects to court”.
