An Ikeja Special Offences and Domestic Violence Court, Lagos, yesterday heard how a construction worker, Emmanuel John, allegedly raped a 39-year-old woman in an uncompleted building.
A policeman, Sergeant Olakunle Orebe, told the court that John allegedly raped the woman, who was hawking beans and yam (popularly known as ‘ewa agoyin’), on June 20, 2017 at No 14, Akins Addo Road, Ajah. Orebe, attached to the Gender Unit at the Ikeja Police Command, said that the victim, a Togolese, was alleged raped by John and his friend, identified as Obinna (now at large), about 11.45a.m. on that fateful day.
The 34-year-old construction worker, who has been in prison custody since 2017, is standing trial for an offence of rape. However, Orebe, while led in evidence by the state prosecuting counsel, B. T. Boye, said that the defendant and the case file were transferred to him from Langbasa Police Station, Ajah on June 23, 2017. Orebe said he visited the crime scene and also interviewed the victim.
He added: “The survivor (victim) told me that she was hawking her usual food items when one man (Obinna) came and called her, on the pretence of buying beans and yam.
“The victim narrated that the defendant asked her to come and sell to his friend (the defendant), who he claimed was already waiting at his house. “She said that she quickly followed behind him to the uncompleted building and met his friend.
But instead of requesting for food, they ordered her to remove her clothes. The defendant forcibly removed her clothes, held her hands while his friend had sexual intercourse with her. “The victim told me that the defendant thereafter took turn to rape her.”
Meanwhile, during cross examination by the defence counsel, Akinyemi Adetunyi, the policeman said that the defendant made a confessional statement at the station admitting that he had sexual intercourse with the victim. In his confessional statement, John said he had sexual intercourse with the woman on an agreement of paying her N500 for the sex. He said: “I met my friend having sex with her when I came back to the house.
My friend told me not to shout but that I could also do mine if I wanted to. I agreed but the woman then insisted that I pay N500 for a round of sex. I agreed, although I had no money in my pocket.”
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