TVC E. A woman who was raped by a gang has had a most shocking experience with the police while trying to fish the perpetrators out.
The rape victim simply identified as Joy narrated how an Inspector of Police, IPO in Ogun state demanded money from her when she reported a fleeing rapist.
Speaking on how she was raped, Joy said she was returning home from a factory, where she worked when the gang led by one Tomiwa attacked her. She said they collected her phone and salary before three of them took turns to rape her.
The suspected rapist, simply identified as Tomiwa, was arrested by youths who handed him over to the Sango-Ota Police Division, in the state.
Tomiwa, who belonged to the syndicate notorious for rape and stealing in the Igbala Community of Sango-Ota, was arrested on March 12 after he and his gang raped the girl in the area.
Joy, narrating her ordeal at the station, said a policewoman assigned to investigate the case at the division demanded N20, 000 from her, adding that she let go of the case when she was insulted by the officer.
According to her, “The IPO was one Martinda at the Sango-Ota Police Division and she told me to report back whenever I saw those guys (the fleeing suspects).
“Around 1pm one day, I rushed back to the station and informed her, but she told us to raise N20, 000 for their arrest.
“We later met with some other policemen there and they collected N2, 000 after much pleading. We left the station around 3pm, but by the time we got to where I saw them, they had fled.
“I had forgone the matter until yesterday (Wednesday) when the community took up the case,” Joy said.
Tomiwa’s accomplices: Dekunle Lawal, Wale Alore, Sunday Salako, Peters Apata, Oyetunde Tolulope and one Ojere are still in police custody, while one Rafiu and Umoru are at large.
Following their escape, the community reportedly petitioned the state Commissioner of Police, CP, Abdulmajid Ali, who ordered that the miscreants be trailed and rearrested.
The petition, signed by a community elder, Pastor Ajayi Ibikunle, read in part, “They (suspects) always challenge ladies residing in the community and visitors coming into and going out of the community without any cause, be it early in the morning when people are going to work or at night when people are coming back from work.
“They snatch bags, rob people of their valuables and at the same time they rape ladies. These young men have gangs around the Alishiba, School 3 and Joju areas. They smoke and sell hemps,” the petition read.
The state Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, on Thursday, confirmed the incident saying the suspects would be transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS of the command for further investigation and assured the residents that the community would be ‘sanitised.’
Adejobi said, “The suspects were arrested for different offences, including rape, stealing and breach of the peace.
“The residents should be rest assured that the community and others would be sanitised from hoodlums terrorising the areas.
“The suspects will be charged to court after investigation,” the PPRO stated.
According to Punch, a youth leader in the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, urged the police to ensure that the suspects were prosecuted and the fleeing members arrested.
He said, “I want the police to charge them to court and ensure that they are duly prosecuted. They have been influencing younger ones negatively.”
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