A middle- aged trader at Alaba
International Market, Ojo, Lagos, simply
identified as Joseph, a.k.a Pastor is in
Police net for allegedly raping his
neighbour’s seven-year-old
granddaughter (names withheld) at Mechanic Bus Stop, Ojo, Lagos. It was learned that the victim’s mother, Mrs Nene Oguchint, alongside her three
children visited her sick father who lives
in the same compound with the suspect
at Number 19, Adeyanju (Civilian
Barracks) three weeks ago. The victim
was allegedly raped twice during this
period by Joseph who is popularly called
Pastor in the vicinity.
gathered that the bubble burst after a
teenager in the compound confided in
the victim’s mother, Nene Oguchint, that
Pastor had earlier defiled his 12-year-old
brother, Collins. Shocked at the
disclosure, the victim's mother made
further enquiries only to discover that
her visiting daughter had fallen victim of
the notorious serial rapist.
Victim’s account
The victim (names with held) told her
bewildered mother that the first time
pastor did it was the day she, together
with her younger ones, went inside the
Pastor’s room.
“When we entered, he told my little
sister Amaka to take my brother, Victor
outside. When they went outside, Uncle
asked me to sit on his laps, removed my
pants and his trouser and started
putting his private part inside my bum-
bum. Later, white substance began to
come out from it. After he finished, he
gave her N10,00. The second time was
in the afternoon; I was in the passage
alone, so Uncle Joseph started calling
me, in a low voice, to come in.
I thought he wanted me to run some
errand for him. So, I went inside his
room and he did the same thing to me.
After he finished, he gave me two sliced
bread. Asked why she didn’t tell her
mother, she said that Uncle threatened
that he will kill her if she told anyone.
How the bubble burst
Mother of the victim, Nene Oguchint
who spoke to Crime Alert on Thursday
morning gave her own account of the
incident.
“I live in the East with my husband and
children. I came to visit my sick father
who lives in that compound on the 29th
of April with my three young children. At
about 6pm when I got home on
Monday, I was washing clothes when
one of my neighbour's children, named
Junior (14 years old) came to me and
said that there was something that
happened that he wanted to tell me. I
asked him what, he said one of our
neighbours, Joseph (a.k.a. Brother
pastor) pleaded with his mother to
allow his younger brother Collins, (12-
years old) sleep in his room since his
sister didn’t come back home that
night.”
According to him: “Ignorantly, my
mother agreed and that night, my
younger brother slept in his room. In
the morning when Collins woke up, he
complained to me that Pastor didn’t
allow him to sleep in the night, as he
kept touching his penis, kissing, and
troubling him all through the night. He
pulled his trouser and when he tried to
shout, he closed his mouth.” Junior
further explained that thrice the Pastor
attempted to rape him and he told him
off, as such he dislikes him.
She
continued: “I
asked Junior
why he
didn’t report
to his
mother, he
said he
didn’t
because the
Pastor is
dating his
mother and
that his
mother
would not
believe him.
Still, I
encouraged
him to tell
his mother
which he
did.
Unfortunately when he did, the mother
slapped him, asking how he would
make such an allegation against Joseph
the Pastor. While this was going on, two
siblings from another tenant, Joel and
Emma said that the same Pastor has
done similar things to them, too. I asked
them why they didn’t tell their mother
when it happened, they said he
threatened to kill them if they told
anyone.
“I was shocked so I called my daughter
(names withheld) and asked her if she
heard what Junior, Joel and Emma had
said. She said yes. I asked her if the
Pastor had done something like that to
her, she started shivering and said; “Yes
mummy, please don’t beat me.” I asked
her how many times, she said twice.
After she explained to me, I raised
alarm. Then, the Pastor was already
inside the house of one of the vicrtim's
mother, Mama Collins. I then confronted
him. He didn’t say anything, it was
Mummy Collins that was pleading with
me to calm down and stop shouting
and advised that I should not tell
anyone.
I told her that it was not possible, that
there was no way I would sweep a case
of defilement against my daughter
under the carpet. I then called my
husband who had travelled to the east.
It was my husband that told me to
report the case to the police, which I did
on Tuesday morning because it was
already late. When I got to Iyana-Isashi
Police Station, the police officers were
confused because the suspect had come
to report the case to them the previous
night.
Alleged police complicity
“The police took my daughter to a
private hospital in Ali-Baba, Isashi,
where a test was conducted and it was
discovered that she has been sexually
abused, recently. After attempts to
persuade me to settle the case failed,
the police officer in-charge of the case
said that if I want the case to be
charged to court, I should be ready to
pay money for transportation to
Badagry Magistrate's court.
“On
Wednesday afternoon, the police officer
in-charge of the case hurriedly took us
to Badagry Magistrate's court after he
heard that human right groups were
interested in the case. Unfortunately, we
got there late and the case could not be
heard because the court didn’t sit. They
referred us to Ojo Magistrate's court. I
don’t understand how the police is
handling the case any more as the IPO
says I won’t be going to the court with
my daughter.
Since the incident took place, many of
the suspect's relatives including an
Anglican priest, have been calling asking
us to name our price, that they would
pay anything for the case not to go to
court. The suspect who was initially
denying the allegation, later started
begging me to forgive him and
withdraw the case.”
Lamenting, the victim’s father, Chinedu
Oguchint, a trader, who came to Lagos
because of the case on Wednesday,
said: “ I want the case to be properly
investigated and we want justice to be
done. We are calling on the
Commissioner of Police, Owoseni Fatai,
Lagos State Government and the human
right groups to intervene in this issue as
the suspect's relatives are attempting to
cover the case up. “
Another drama
While this was going on, another drama
took place as parents of the victim
alleged also that the Investigating Police
Officer had forcibly taken their daughter
to an Ikeja magistrate's court where the
case was to be heard. The mother said
she was at the police station with the
suspect when the police officer took her
child and insisted that she should not
follow them to court. According to her,
“They left the police station without me.
I traced them to the court in Ikeja, later.”
Ads Under Post PC