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14 year-old rape victim recounts ordeal

+ Culprit deserves maximum punishment

FOR 14 year-old Miss Kehinde Salami, Tuesday, January 14, 2014, would forever remain a day to remember.

John Ukara
John Ukara

This was the day she lost her virginity to a man-beast, a rapist who came from the blues to rob her of her pride.

The SS1 student of a secondary school in Lagos had enjoyed a perfect normal day. So, when her mother sent her out around 6 p.m after school to buy ugwu (vegetable) from a nearby seller to make dinner, little did she know that she would fall prey to the vile fancy of a depraved pedophile, lurking in the neighbourhood.  The young girl was allegedly abducted, defiled, brutalized and battered by a man in his mid-30s (judging from his appearance), John Anaga Ukara. ENCOMIUM Weekly, on catching wind of the incident, visited the Shasha Police Station, in Alimosho LGA  of Lagos where the suspect was being kept on Friday, January 17, 2014.

However, the suspect had been transferred to the State CID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos earlier that morning, leaving the reporters with no choice than to head to Panti.  ENCOMIUM Weekly met the unremorseful stony-faced suspect John, the victim, who was still visibly in pains along with her mother in a crowded office where statements were being taken.

Bromide of the medical report
Bromide of the medical report

It took the officer in charge, one Inspector Akin not less than four hours to retrieve their own version of statements from Miss Kehinde and the suspect.

Within this period of interrogation and filing of the case, the policemen in the office made the raped girl look and feel like the criminal as they kept directing innuendos at her.

“Why didn’t you fight back?  Why did you allow him?  You just laid there like a log and allowed him to put his thing in your mouth and body,” retorted one of the officers.

“14 year old girl don dey marry and born,” remarked another officer unsympathetically.

Eventually, ENCOMIUM Weekly was able to speak with Miss Kehinde Salami, who recounted her horrific ordeal, as well as her mother, Latifat, on what steps she had taken since the incident.

The officer in charge, Inspector Akin was unable to provide much information as he explained that there wasn’t much to say until proper investigation was conducted by the police.

Meanwhile, the suspect’s accomplice, Kola, who was said to have aided the crime is at large at the moment.

‘The more I begged, the more he beat me’- KEHINDE SALAMI, victim

Can you please tell us what really happened?

On Tuesday evening, my mom sent me to buy vegetable at about 6.  On my way home, the guy walked up to me, he said his name was John.  I did not answer him, then he suddenly held my hand to get my attention, so I waited. Then, he asked if I wanted money and a phone, I told him I did not need his money or phone.  Then, he asked if I could date him. I told him no, because I was still a secondary school student. He said he was a university graduate and he studied English.  I insisted that I was still a secondary school student in SS1 and I was focused on completing my education.

He still kept insisting that I date him, that he was the son of the newly installed Baale and his father was influential.  I told him I was in a hurry, that I had to go and prepare dinner. And I wasn’t even supposed to stand and talk to him in the first place because my mom would be expecting me at home as it was getting late and I still had to prepare dinner.  Suddenly, he snatched the vegetable from me and the change, then he started walking away.  I ran after him and was shouting at him to give me my vegetable. I ran after him till we got to a compound.  When I stepped into the compound, I didn’t see him. So I shouted for help, no one came out or responded to my cry for attention.  Then the guy came out and dragged me further into the compound and up the stairs into a flat.  He locked the door and kept the key.  Then he pushed me down. He pulled my trousers and tore the buttons off.

When this happened did you try screaming for help?

Yes, I shouted and he started beating me.  The more I begged or shouted, the more he beat me and even hit my head against the wall.  While he was having sexual intercourse with me one of his friends knocked and he opened the door.  The friend’s name is Kola.  This same Kola was instructing me not to be stubborn and allow the guy do what he wants to do.  At a point, if John had sexual intercourse with me for a while, he would go into the bedroom but I don’t know what he was going in to do because I was already weak from the beating.  Then Kola would come to the living room and ask me to do whatever John asked me to, so he could set me free.

Then John said he wasn’t having an erection that I should suck his penis or lick it.  I said I wouldn’t, he started beating and abusing me after which he forcefully put his manhood in my mouth and I had to lick it.

After that, Kola asked John if he hadn’t done what he was supposed to do since, that if it were him he would have finished.  John continued having sexual intercourse with me.  Along the line, he threatened he was going to use me for money rituals and he would remove my eyes and dump my body in a canal.  I begged and pleaded with Kola to talk to John.  I told Kola that I had never met John before, Kola said I should just allow John do what he wanted to do.  I kept on begging, each time I tried to beg or shout for help they both beat me so hard.

Later, someone knocked at the door.  The person said he wanted to see John.  Kola responded saying he wasn’t at home.  Immediately after that I heard my mom’s voice at the door. John then got off me and tried to drag me into the room.  He hurriedly put on his trousers while Kola opened the door.  I ran towards the door and shouted for help.  He tried to pull me back into the room but my mom obstructed him.  I ran out naked, then some people called some policemen.  They asked that my photograph be taken the way I was found.  A picture of me was taken as I was naked.  After that, the policemen took me to the station to make a statement.  We went back to John’s house to arrest him but they knocked and he refused to open the door.

Before the day of the incident, have you met or seen John or Kola before?

No, I have never met them before.  Even Kola I can’t recognize him

‘I was told they were friends with policemen’- LATIFAT SALAMI, victim’s mother

Did the policemen actually leave John at home, while your daughter was taken to the station to write her statement?

The policemen told John and Kola to open the door, but they did not answer.  So, my daughter was taken to the police station (Onilekere Police post in Alimosho local government).  The policemen came back to knock, they still refused to open the door. Right from about 8 p.m when this terrible thing happened, the boys did not open the door till about 2 a.m and that was when some boys from Mangoro area threatened to break down the door if they didn’t.

How was John eventually arrested?

It was the boys from Mangoro area that stayed with me.  We called police patrol and some other law enforcement agents.  They kept saying they were coming but they never showed up.  We waited till about 1.30 a.m, the boys from the area got angry and decided to break the door.  They said they were going to burn the house down, I begged them and collected the petrol from them.

Some people had already told me that Kola and John were friends with the policemen from Onilekere police post and if I wanted justice I had to go to another police station to report the incident.  So, when the boys with me started hitting the door, Kola and John called the policemen from Onilekere, before they opened the door.

When did this happen?

It happened on Tuesday, January 14, 2014, but John was not arrested until the early hours of Wednesday, January 15, 2014.

What exactly have you done since it happened?

I was advised not to leave Kola’s house. That if I did the boys would run away and that would be the end because it wasn’t their first or second time of doing such thing, and they always got away with them. I was also instructed to make sure they were handed over to the police.

The Baale of Onipetesi’s son was the one who led the group of boys that helped me.  Even the Baale himself kept calling to know what was happening.  Based on  what I was told about John and Kola being friends with the policemen at Onilekere police post, I went to Shasha police station at about 6 a.m with my husband to report the incident.  The policemen at Shasha followed us to Onilekere to pick John, after which my daughter was taken to General Hospital, Ikeja for tests.

What progress have the police made so far?

The case was transferred to Panti Police Station, today Friday, and afer we spent the whole day there, they were told that some policemen would come to our area on Monday for investigation and also to check the distance from where she bought the vegetable and where the incident happened.

What do you wish to be done to the guy that did this to your daughter?

I was told that people who engage in such acts were sentenced to 21 years imprisonment.  That is just what I want.  I don’t want any settlement.

We heard that the boy was pleading to settle out of court?

Yes, but I don’t want any form of settlement because a child can’t be bought in the market place.

– TINUOLA JOSEPH and DANIEL FAYEMI

Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

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