November 6, 2014 was like every other day for
300 level student of Computer Science (names
withheld) at the University of Lagos, Akoka Yaba.
As the ailing student who managed to attend
lectures stepped into her apartment located at
Moremi hall, never in her wildest imagination did
she envisage she would end up being a victim of
rape.
However, the signal of an imminent emotional
and psychological trauma reared up after one
Daniel Okereke, a man that had reportedly being
wooing her since last month, came visiting.
Without any inkling of an apparent sinister
motive, the undergraduate was said to have
reluctantly left to attend to her visitor,who upon
seeing her condition, opted to take her to a
pharmaceutical store around Akoka to get some
drugs.
Not
yet
done
with
his
show
of
concern, the visitor reportedly took the female
student to an eatery, so that she could eat before
taking the drugs. Thereafter, he reportedly took
her to his abode at Mende, Mariland where he
allegedly ended up raping her.
Narrating her ordeal to the police, the student
who had marks of strings on her back, hands and
legs , narrated how she narrowly escaped being
murdered by Okereke, in her bid to free herself
from his grips.
According to her: “ When he came visiting, I never
knew he had something sinister in his mind until
we got to his place. At the eatery, he ordered that
the food be made take-away and asked me to go
eat it in his place and at the same time rest
before taking me back to the hostel.
Immediately we entered the room, he secured the
door and I had supper and later asked to be taken
back . But he said he must have sex with me. I
tried to appeal to him to consider my state of
health and take me back to campus.
Before I knew what was happening, he started
beating me, forcing to have his way. As if that
was not enough, he called in seven guards in the
compound who assisted him and tied me down.
He thereafter, went into his kitchen and brought
out a knife, threatening to kill me if I resisted. He
took me to one of the rooms where he brought
out a condom and raped me.
Crime Guard gathered that when the 23 year-old
lady was untied, she went violent and started
shattering every property she could lay her hands
on. In the process, one of the objects she
allegedly threw out of the window, landed on a
vehicle belonging to one of the tenants, smashing
its windscreen. That attracted neighbours.
The case was reported at Area ‘F’ Ikeja , following
which Okereke was arrested . During
interrogation, he reportedly claimed to be nephew
of a former Director -General of the Nigerian
Stock Exchange NSE and cousin to a front-line
Nollywood actress who ironically has a foundation
which promotes the well being of women.
He was said to have been released on bail, an
action the victim frowned out. The case was
thereafter transferred to the State Criminal
Investigation Department, SCID Panti, where the
36-year-old Okereke was rearrested.
He reportedly claimed that the victim destroyed
his property , an action that was engendered by
the violence meted to her. Okereke was charged
to court Thursday. Equally charged was Idris
Abubakar, the security guard who allegedly
assisted Okereke to tie up the victim. He is an
alleged accomplice.
Our ONOZURE DANIA who was in the court put
her report this way: Lagos- Two men Daniel
Okereke 32 and Idris Abubakar 37 were yesterday
arraigned before a Yaba Chief Magistrate’s Court,
over alleged assault and rape and threat to life.
The defendants who are businessman and a
security Guard respectively were docked before
Magistrate Y. O Aje-Afunwa.
They are facing a five count charge bordering on
conspiracy, assault, rape and threat to life
preferred against them by the police. The police
prosecutor Superintendent Godwin Anyanwu, told
the court that the defendants committed the
alleged offence on November 6, 2014.
He said that the incident took place at Mende,
Maryland in ikeja area of Lagos state between
2:30-11pm.
He said that the first defendant allegedly raped
and assaulted one lady (names withheld).
Anyanwu also claimed that the defendant
unlawfully had canal knowledge of the victim
without her consent, adding that he beat her up
with a brown belt and also threatened her with a
knife.
According to the prosecutor, the offences
committed,contravened sections 409, 171, 261
and punishable under section 56 and 258 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Earlier, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the
charges against them. The defendants counsel, R.
Amokea, urged the court to grant the defendants
bail in the most liberal term, as the offence
committed, was a bailable offence and that they
were still presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The prosecutor Anyanwu objected to the bail
application, on the grounds that the charges
levelled against the defendants were charges of
rape, sexual assault and occasional harm.
However, Magistrate Aje-Afunwa, granted the first
defendant bail in the sum of N200,000, with one
responsible surety in like sum, while the second
defendant was admitted bail in the sum of
N50,000, with one surety in like sum.
She also said that the surety must either be a
relative, a cleric or a community leader.
The matter was adjourned till January 9, 2015, for
trial.
Vanguard.
No comments: