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How Eight UNILAG Undergraduates Gang-Raped Me – Victim

Published

5 years ago

February 27, 2019

Eric

An undergraduate of the University of Lagos, on Tuesday, explained to a Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja, how eight undergraduates of the same institution allegedly gang-raped and blackmailed her with the video footage of the sexual assault.

The 19-year-old gave an account of the incident while giving evidence during the trial of some of the suspects.

Five of the suspects, Moboluwaji Omowole, 19; Chuka Chukwu, 19; Peace Nwankaba, 19; James Aguedu, 20; and Osemeka Josephine, 20, were arraigned on Tuesday on three counts of defilement of a child, permitting the defilement of a child on a premises and procuration (inducing any minor girl under the age of 18 to go from any place or to do any act with intent that such a girl may be, or knowing that it is likely that she will be, forced or seduced to illicit intercourse with another person).

Other students, who are alleged accomplices to the crime, are still at large.

According to the prosecutor, K. A. Momoh-Ayokanbi, the defendants and others at large committed the offences in January 2017 on the premises of UNILAG, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos.

The offences, according to Momoh-Ayokanbi, contravene sections 137, 138 and 140(1) (a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.

The victim, who was 17-year-old at the time of the incident, on Tuesday, told the court that she became friends with Nwankaba, who was her roommate when she moved into the school’s hostel during the 2016/2017 academic session, adding that Nwankaba lured her to be gang-raped.

She said, “I had three roommates, including Nwankaba. During the course of being in the room, Peace and I became friends; she even introduced me to her parents on our matriculation day in January 2017.

“One day, around noon, Peace called me on the phone and asked if I was around and if I wanted to hang out with a boy called Yinka (now at large) at the High Rise, which is a staff quarter in UNILAG; but at that time, I did not know what High Rise was; I told her and she said it was a hostel where people stayed.

“I told her I was not sure about hanging out and that I would think about it; she cut the line and called me again within the space of five minutes, but this time, it was Yinka, who was talking to me. He told me that it was supposed to be a hangout and Peace would be there; at that point, I agreed and since I didn’t know where the High Rise was, Yinka and Peace told me to meet them at the Jaja Hall, a male hostel in UNILAG.

“When I got there, I only met Yinka, who was with James, and I asked after Peace, but he told me that she was at the High Rise.

“When I got to the High Rise, I was led into a small building behind the High Rise, where I met Seriki (now at large) and a group of boys, but was assured by Yinka that Peace would come.

“James led me up the flights of stairs and we got into a room; there were boys on the corridor. I entered into the room with Seriki and James, but Yinka stayed outside; when I got into the room, I met two boys and a girl; the boys were Emmanuel (at large), I cannot remember the name of the second boy, and Josephine.

“When James and Seriki entered the room, Josephine and the two boys left and at that point, it was clear to me that Peace was not in the High Rise. Yinka then asked me to have sex with him, I said no but he forcefully removed my clothes; at this point, two other people, who were peering into the room, entered and held me down while Yinka forcefully had sex with me.

“In no particular order, the following took their turns: Daniel, James, Yinka, Bolu (first defendant), Seriki, Emmanuel and two other people, whose names I don’t know. They were eight men.”

The victim further told the court that she was subjected to further sexual assault by some of the defendants and their accomplices following the alleged gang rape.

She added, “When they were molesting me, there was a guy, who was sitting down making a video recording of all that was happening on a phone. My first instinct was to get the phone from him but I was outnumbered. At the point when they were leaving, they led me outside the building and they told me that they had a footage of what happened.

“They said if I didn’t want to be popular in school, I had to answer them anytime they wanted to have sex. They collected my number and shared it among themselves.”

She further told the court that because she did not know how to handle the situation, she kept everything that happened to herself, as she was scared that she would get into trouble because of the video.

The victim added that on two other occasions, she was subjected to more gang rape by members of the group, who now included Simi, Randy, Idowu and Eddy (all at large), noting that the assault occurred at Chukwu’s parents house at the Pako area of Yaba.

She added, “I started hearing stories and the narrative was as though I wanted it. Henry, a friend of Peace, told me that I was popular at the Jaja Hall and that there was a footage of the incident and I wanted to get away from it.

“I had a friend (name withheld), who belonged to the same organisation in the school as me; he liked me and when he heard about the story and video, he asked questions.

“Unknown to me, he reported to the school authorities and on March 1, 2017, he told me to follow him to Ecobank to withdraw money, but unknown to me, he wanted me to see the school counsellor.

“The school counsellor beckoned to me and I saw my bio-data with her; she asked me to follow her and at that point, I knew who she was.

“I thought I was going to be expelled from the university; she pulled out a form and asked me to state what happened and I told her everything. She told me that the school was behind me and promised that the perpetrators would be caught.”

The victim added that the counsellor asked her to lure Omowole (first defendant) to a place on the school premises, where he was arrested and taken to the office of the Dean of Student Affairs, and he provided the names of his accomplices.

The presiding judge, Justice Sururat Soladoye, adjourned the case till March 18 for cross-examination of the victim and the hearing of the bail application of the defendants.

The judge ordered that the defendants be remanded in the Kirikiri Medium Security Prison.

The Punch

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I’ll Resign If Yaya Bello Eacapes Prosecution, EFCC Chair Vows

Published

1 hour ago

April 23, 2024

Eric

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has sworn to follow the prosecution of the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to a logical conclusion.

In a chat with journalists at the EFCC Headquarters in the Jabi area of Abuja on Tuesday, the anti-graft crusader vowed to resign as EFCC chairman if Bello is not prosecuted.

He added that all those who obstructed the arrest of the former governor would be brought to justice.

The EFCC is seeking to arraign Bello on 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion.

He said that no matter what anyone does or the amount of attack against the anti-graft agency, he and his men will not relent in helping to sanitise the country.

Olukoyede said the EFCC needs the support of Nigerians to succeed, emphasizing that if the agency fails, Nigeria fails. He stated that the efforts made currently have helped the value of the Naira and the foreign market.

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Kwibuka 30: Nigerian Community In Rwanda Visits Kigali Genocide Memorial

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2024

Eric

By Dolapo Aina

The 30th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi commenced in Rwanda on Sunday, April 7, 2024. The commemoration is called Kwibuka which in Kinyarwanda means “to remember.”
For clarity and context, April 7th 2024 marked the start of Kwibuka 30, the 30th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi, which began on April 7th 1994. As with other commemorations, the Kigali Genocide Memorial was a focal point as the flame of remembrance was lit and global dignitaries placed wreaths at the mass graves. The memorial is normally closed to the public for part of the day on April 7th, with attendance at the lighting of the flame by invitation only.
In and around Kigali during the first week of the commemoration, a plethora of commemorations took place to mark Kwibuka 30 and different events took place during its first week in particular. Bars, clubs and public leisure facilities are usually closed for the week and this was so, this year.
The Nigerian Community in Rwanda marked Kwibuka 30 with a walk to the Kigali Genocide Memorial on Saturday, the 13th of April 2024. The walk had members (old, new and friends) of the Nigerian Community who gathered in the rain and walked to the location of the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi where the remains of over 250,000 people are interred.
A tour of the memorial complex ensued and the members of the Nigerian community watched a documentary in the viewing room. The documentary featured survivors of the 1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi who usually visit the memorial to pay their silent respect and reflections to loved ones who are buried in the burial grounds of the Genocide Memorial.
Walking through the hallways and rooms, Nigerians read the stories on the hallways and discussed amongst themselves. For some, it was their first time at the memorial, for others, it was the umpteenth visit. For Dolapo Aina, I have been visiting the memorial since April 2014 and for each visit (numbering close to 70 visits), I come out with a newer and clearer understanding. It was a sombre period going through the hallways and rooms as some people could not go through the emotions of going into the children’s room. Wreaths were laid at the grave site section and the members of the Nigerian community proceeded to a serene area of the complex facing the amphitheatre where there was a deep hour conversation with one of the officials of the Kigali Genocide Memorial.
Mr Jean Claude Mugisha (an official of the memorial in Gisozi) practically took the Nigerian community through the genesis of the history of Rwanda and the beginning of pogroms from the 1950s culminating in the 1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi. In Mr Mugabe words; “I have been able to forgive. Also, I am involved in unity and reconciliation activities and learning from the power of forgiveness.” Discussions also centred on justice systems, the role of Gacaca court system, reconciliation and nation building. Members of the Nigerian Community asked questions which were answered. Some of the questions triggered areas of collaboration.
Dolapo Aina got the thoughts of some Nigerians resident in Rwanda and who took part in the walk to the Genocide Memorial. Their responses were based on the following questions. Why did you partake in the walk organised by the Nigerian Community in Rwanda to commemorate Kwibuka 30? What was the experience like? Do describe your thoughts when you visited the Genocide Memorial? What stood out to you from the conversation the Nigerian Community had with officials of the Kigali Genocide Memorial? What lessons did you learn from the visit of the Nigerian Community to the Genocide Memorial?
Mr David Oboh in his words; “I partook in the walk to identify with a nation that experienced one of the worst crimes to humanity but today has become a beacon of hope to African nations that things can actually turn around for the better if you decide to. It was heart-wrenching seeing the bones and pictures of the victims murdered in cold blood by family members, neighbours and long-time friends.” On the third question about what stood out during the conversation, Mr Oboh said; “That a man after 15 years in jail came out and still committed murder because he thought he had killed everyone in a family. His mind had not left the past.” He also stated that; “The memorial is a reminder to all that history not forgotten cannot be repeated.”
In Ms. Mercy Odebode’s words: “It not my first time visiting the memorial but this was a different experience for me because it made me realise why Rwandans tend to certain things and also don’t do certain things. For example, viewing religions especially religious institutions like the church differently from the way Nigerians would view it.” She stated that what stood out for her was: “The peace education stood out for me.” On lessons learnt from the visit by the Nigerian community; “First spread peace and not hate. Secondly, forgiveness is not an obligation, you choose to forgive. However, it is good to educate people about forgiveness, educate to forgive and then you proceed with reconciliation.”
Mr. Ogah Ogbole stated that: “The walk by the Nigerian community is something I would not want to miss anytime. I have the opportunity to do so with my fellow countrymen. My experience visiting the memorial and my thoughts can be summed up as ⁠heartbreaking to see fellow Africans killed in cold blood, by their own brothers. Something must have gone wrong somewhere. What stood out for me during the conversation with the officials of the memorial was that Rwandans understand history; they know how to resolve conflict and they know how to move forward. And I learnt to love my brother and my neighbour. More especially, seeing the Rwandans committed to remain one despite the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi blows my mind.”
Another Nigerian, Mr Kelechi Anyanwu stated that: “Partaking in the walk organised by Nigerian Community in Rwanda to commemorate Kwibuka 30 is a civic responsibility which I owe the host country; to stand in solidarity with them at this time of remembrance and in all times. I have visited the genocide memorial site more than 20 times within the short period that I’ve lived here in Rwanda. And every time I visit, I weep. Never will I stop visiting because it offers and brings me close to the reality of sober reflection that one day we shall all be gone and will only be remembered by those we left behind and how we left, will matter. Did we impact their lives positively or negatively? What will you be remembered for?”
On the experience and thoughts about visiting, Mr Anyanwu went thus: “It is also a constant reminder of how desperately wicked people’s hearts can be. With few exceptions. Lions, the king of the jungle don’t kill lions even as animals. Howbeit human beings with 6th sense got to the level of committing such crime against humanity! Therefore, visiting the Genocide memorial site is to provoke the whys and hows and arrive at a conclusion of never again should we condole or tolerate the killing of each other. Let’s love and not hate. The tour and the speech by the officials were quite insightful and significant as it left us with a better understanding of the effects of genocidal damage to humanity. The process of restoration. restitution, rehabilitation and reuniting to rebuild a nation for all; are the testaments of genocide survivors.”

Another Nigerian, Mr Cosmas Anakwue stated; “I took part in the walk to support the Nigerian community and to support Rwanda’s commemoration of Kwibuka 30. My experience at the memorial was good as it was an eye opener; it was informative and educational. What stood out for me was the attention given to the Genocide events and how we can relate it to our history as Nigerians. And one of the lessons I learnt was that we should use our bad history as a building block for our various nations in unity, peace and progress.
According to Kwibuka Rwanda, Kwibuka marks a generational cycle since The Genocide Against The Tutsi was put to an end. And it is a time to reflect on Rwanda’s journey of rebuilding strength, resilience, and unity. It now falls to new generations to sustain and carry forward this progress, adapting to today’s global challenges to achieve Rwanda’s aspirations.
The Nigerian Community in Rwanda commenced commemorating Kwibuka with a walk to the Genocide memorial in 2019.

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Connect Initiative To Celebrate Gov. Umo Eno’s 60th Birthday With Empowerment Programme

Published

2 days ago

April 21, 2024

Eric

Connect Initiative, a socio-political group of entrepreneurs and professionals is set to commemorate the 60th birthday of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno by empowering 60 vulnerable people from across the 31 Local Government Areas of the state.

The empowerment programme scheduled to hold in Uyo, the State capital on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 would witness the group presenting financial support to the beneficiaries.

According to a statement by the Connect Council“ Knowing full well His Excellency’s modest and humble disposition, we totally agree with his decision not to throw any huge party when many of our people are struggling to meet their basic needs, which has led the state government to establish the Bulk Purchase Agency and introduce a Food Sufficiency Intervention Programme which involves the distribution of free staple foodstuff: rice, beans and garri.

“For us at Connect Initiative, we believe we should support this noble vision of giving a boost to people at the grassroots. We believe that by helping these people develop, the beneficiaries can gain the power to sustain their livelihoods, achieve self-sufficiency and also contribute their quota to the development of our dear state.

The Council further stated “Governor Umo Eno has been in the forefront of efforts engendering business and economic growth with the creation of different initiatives including the establishment of the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Centre (Ibom-LED) aimed at cutting down poverty figures and providing unique opportunities for youths interested in making a career of their talents, thus his idea of not feeding them fish but teaching them how to fish is commendable.

Connect Initiative which was one of the groups that campaigned vigorously for Governor Umo Eno at the last gubernatorial election noted that in line with its pay-off line “connecting the dots”, it would henceforth be linking government’s programmes to the people at the grassroots with innovative and value-added projects that would have direct impact on the people.