An Ikeja Special Offences and Domestic Violence Court, Lagos, has remanded two men in prison custody for partaking in an alleged five-man gang rape of a 15-year-old school girl (name withheld).
The accused persons identified as Olaleye Dolapo, 22, and Sulaiman Salami, 21, were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, indecent assault and defilement.
The duo, however, pleaded not guilty on all charges.
According to the Prosecuting Counsel, Inumidun Solarin, the accused persons and others (now at large) committed the offence on July 6, 2016, in the Iba area of Lagos.
Solarin said that the offence contravened Sections 137 Criminal Law, Ch.C17, Vol 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
However, according to the narrative of the victim, in a police statement, she said that on that fateful day, she went to Igando to celebrate the Id el fitri holiday with her friend, one Adiola Adeogun.
She said that when she got to the bus stop and called Adiola, he informed her that he was still running an errand for his father but his friend, Dolapo (an electrician) would take her to his own house instead.
The said Dolapo took her to a house and started touching her inappropriately. She thereafter called Adiola who asked her where she was because he was at Dolapo’s place and she was nowhere to be found.
Adiola then requested to speak to Dolapo, who then said that he took her to one Segun Arowolo’s house at No. 33 Akesan road, Egan, Lagos.
She said, “when Adiola dropped the phone, Dolapo pounced on me and tried to rape me but I struggled with him and began screaming for help.
“Immediately, four guys opened the door and came inside the room to ask us what was going on. I ran towards them, thinking they came to rescue me but they pushed me away and ordered me to remove my clothes.
“When I refused, they began to punch me on my hands and legs till I became too weak to move or struggle. Then, they had sexual intercourse with me one after another.
“When Adiola came into the room, they ordered him to sleep with me also but he refused and they beat him up mercilessly. He managed to escape from the room and they gang pushed me out of the room while flinging my clothes too.
“I managed to dress up since, a part of my dress got torn. Adiola and I thereafter went to the police station, Igando Division to report what they did to me,” she said.
Justice Sybil Nwaka thereafter ordered that the defendants be remanded in Kirikiri prison and adjourned till May 31 for trial.
