An herbalist, Tajudeen Akintoye, is cooling his heels in a cell at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for taking advantage of a woman with Down’s syndrome, Rachael, in Itele, in the Ado Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Akintoye, a popular herbalist in the community, sneaked into the victim’s parents’ house while her parents had gone to the farm.
He was said to have undressed Rachael and was sleeping with her when her parents arrived and caught him in the act.
The matter was reported at the Itele Police Station as the 23-year-old Anambra State indigene was taken to a hospital for tests.
Rachael’s father, Leonard Onuzulike, said the incident happened around 11am on Monday.
He said, “She developed the problem about 22 years ago when she was an infant. She had gone into convulsion and we took her to a hospital where the doctors said she had the problem. She cannot walk on her own and her speech drawls. But when we talk to her, she understands and responds, though not coherently.
“So, on Monday, my wife and I left her at home to go to the farm. The farm is just a stone’s throw to the house. And within 30 minutes, we were done.
“But on getting home, I was shocked to see him on top of my daughter. He was stark naked and he had removed her dress as well. We apprehended and handed him over to the police, who detained him.”
Onuzulike said his daughter was taken to a medical centre where she was examined before a doctor confirmed that there was penetration.
He, however, lamented that on Wednesday, the police gave him a form to take to the Ota General Hospital for another round of tests.
“When we got to the hospital, the doctor did not conduct any examination. He just asked her some questions and filled in her responses. He didn’t perform any test like the first hospital and I hope it is not a ploy to destroy the case,” he added.
While wondering the reason for the delay in the prosecution of the suspect, Racheal’s father alleged that the police at the Itele division asked him to provide a vehicle to convey the suspect from the station to the command headquarters at Abeokuta.
Onuzulike alleged that the officers threatened to release the suspect if he didn’t make the arrangement on time, saying they feared he could die in custody.
A police source at the Itele division said 60-year-old Akintoye, during interrogation, confessed to the crime, blaming his uncontrollable libido.
“He said he didn’t know what came over him and that he just couldn’t control his sexual urge which pushed him to enter the house and sleep with the girl. I wondered why he couldn’t go to a brothel and why it had to be such a helpless girl. He is a wretched man and the police have been feeding him for the three days he had spent in the cell,” the source said.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the police had received the result of the test, adding that the matter had been transferred to the SCIID.
He said, “A case of rape was reported and the suspect was arrested by our men at the Itele division. The victim was taken to a hospital for medical test because we need a doctor’s report to prosecute the suspect. The case is not what can be handled at the divisional level. They had to transfer it to the SCIID and they cannot do that without getting the medical report. That was what the DPO was waiting for yesterday (Wednesday). They got it this morning and the matter has been transferred to the SCIID.
“The incident happened in the interior of Ota. They could have a challenge of getting vehicles to transport them to Abeokuta. But that does not mean they will kill the case over issues of transportation. The police cannot prosecute the case without the complainant being present when it is being transferred because he needs to know where the matter is being transferred to.”
The state Commissioner for Health, Babatunde Ipaye, did not pick his calls.
He had also yet to respond to a text message on the allegation of medical tests not being carried out on the victim at the Ota General Hospital.
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