The Lagos State Police Command has launched a manhunt for the suspects who allegedly forced a 23-year-old lady, Judith (not real name), to smoke Indian hemp before taking turns to rape her at 106, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, around Pako Bus Stop, Lagos.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, requested a comprehensive report from the Isokoko Police Division, Agege, Lagos, after last week’s publication.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Dolapo Badmos, told our correspondent on Thursday that the report arrived on Thursday.
She said, “The commissioner of police has directed that the case be transferred to our gender desk unit so that it can be given the seriousness it requires.
“The CP has said on no account should any DPO compromise on a rape case. A manhunt is on for the suspects at the moment.”
Saturday PUNCH had reported last week that Judith was raped on Sunday, August 28 by two men identified as Monaco and Wasiu, who are now on the run.
A third suspect, Olanrewaju Osinubi, was arrested in connection with the rape. The family said immediately Judith was found at the scene of the rape, he told them that he was the one who gave Indian hemp to the victim, claiming that she took it willingly.
Judith’s family said despite this, he was only charged to court for a lesser crime of obstructing police investigation.
But reacting to this, Badmos said Osinubi was charged to court for obstructing the police investigation because he had nothing to do with the rape.
She said, “He was not involved in the rape. After the family reported the rape at the Dopemu Police Division, they had to go and arrest the two suspects – Wasiu and Monaco. But Osinubi obstructed the policemen from entering the house. He said nobody would enter the house to make any arrest.
“While this was going on, the suspects escaped from the house. That was why Osinubi was detained and later charged for obstruction of police investigation. They would have been able to arrest the suspect if not because of the obstruction.
“They transferred the suspect to Isokoko Police Division because it is one of our family support units where experts handle cases of domestic and sexual violence. The Isokoko DPO’s report shows that the victim’s aunty, who reported the case even appealed to the police to release him so that they could settle it. They probably wanted him released because they had been promised some form of compensation.
“The DPO insisted he (Osinubi) had to be charged to court for what he did. The woman did not even say anything about Indian hemp. We have confirmed from the two divisions and they said the same thing. Even if Isokoko compromised, can Dopemu compromise? He was an accessory after the fact.
“Now, she is saying the man was involved while he was not. If we charged him for a crime he was not a part of, we will lose the case because there won’t be any evidence to prove it.”
However, Judith has been bedridden since the incident, Saturday PUNCH learnt.
“She has not been able to leave the house. She has been bedridden and taking treatment since the incident occurred. Receipts for different drugs and treatment are piling up in the house,” her uncle said.
Meanwhile, the family said they are now being threatened in the neighbourhood by some individuals they do not know.
Judith’s uncle explained that on two separate occasions, an individual had come to their house to ask about his wife without identifying himself.
He said, “The third time this happened, my wife was in front of the bank in our neighbourhood and a man came to her and asked, ‘Do you know me?’ My wife was able to recognise him as someone she sometimes saw around the house where the rape occurred.
“She then told him, ‘Yes, I know you.’ But the man just turned and walked away. People have told us to leave the house for now because the boys who mill around that house (the crime scene) are violent. They smoke Indian hemp all the time.”
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