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By Christopher Oji
Human Right lawyer and leader of the Radical Agenda Movement in the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Adeshina Ogunlana, has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Usman Akali Baba and the Lagos State tate Government to intervene in a rape allegation against a Lagos socialte accussed of defiling a minor.
The socialite, a medical practitioner, (names withheld) was arrested by detectives of the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, in March 2022,for allegedly abusing his wife’s niece severally.
But the human rights lawyer, and other Civil Society Organizations have accussed the police and a senior staff with the Lagos State Government of shielding the suspect and preventing the minor from getting justice.
At a press conference in company with members of some Civil Society Organisations, Ogunlana , said, “ It is evident that the Police and Gender Unit have treated and continue to treat this case with kid’s glove. It is puzzling that a case of this magnitude which has been reported since March19, 2022 ,is yet to be charged to court even with a plethora of evidence before these agencies including a confessional statement by the alleged offender.
“The victim was given shelter by the doctor and his wife after the demise of her late father, with a promise to give her a better life only to turn her into a sex slave for a year and nine months, and a threat that she would die if she ever told anyone about his dastardly acts.”
“We are wondering why a case that was investigated since March didn’t go to court immediately. An aide to the governor of Lagos State has also allegedly been fingered as the brain behind the non prosecution of the suspect. This same person called to intimidate the Rapid Response Team of Lagos State,when they were called to provide security for the survivor and her guardian because the intimidation and threats to their lives became unbearable.
” We are calling on the IGP to prevail on his men and officers in the Lagos State Police Command, handling the case to do the needful and charge the suspect to Court and we also call on the Lagos State Government to wade into the matter and make sure that its’staff that is sheilding the suspect is cautioned and asked to stop denying the survivor justice “.
It was gathered that the suspect’s wife, who is an aunt to the victim, took the the girl in, after her father’s demise.
Narrating her ordeal in her aunt’s home, the victim, said, ” my aunt’s husband started by introducing me to pornography. He later taught me how to perform oral sex. I started performing oral sex on him days before he started penetrating me. The day he deflowered me, he made me swear an oath never to tell anyone.”
She further alleged that the suspect had been having both oral and penetrative sex with her, ejaculated inside her mouth daily, for 19 months before the cat was let out of the bag .
It was also gathered that the suspect, a medical practitioner was detained for twelve days in police custody, before he was granted bail.
Since then, efforts to charge the case to court were allegedly scuttled by delay on the part of the Police, apparently owing to his status in the society.
Irked by the delay,
However, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hudenyin, explained that the case was sent to the Legal unit of the command for legal advice, adding that the case was still under investigation.
