Chijioke Agwu, Abakliki
Laulo Isa, the 20-year-old herdsman, who reportedly raped 54-year-old Mary Okereke to death at Ugwulangwu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, yesterday said he only had one round of sex with the woman before she collapsed and died.
He claimed that he was under the influence of alcohol when he pounced on the woman.
Laulo spoke to newsmen shortly after he was paraded by the police in Abakaliki, the capital of the state.
He said he had no plan to rape the woman, but when she was insulting him after she rejected his sexual advances, anger moved him to commit the act.
The herdsman, who sounded very remorseful for his action, further said that he was not in his right senses when he raped the woman.
He said: “ I am Laulo Isa. I am from Nassarawa State. I came to work here in Ebonyi. I was seriously drunk and saw a woman in the night walking along the road. I approached her for sex and she started abusing me.
“We started abusing ourselves and I immediately pounced on her and she started struggling with me to free herself. I was seriously drunk that time.
‘’As I was on her, a man who was passing flashed his torchlight on me and I ran away.
“I don’t know whether I was having sex with her but she was on ground with me.
“I did not hit her with any object but it is like I had one round of sex with her. We were both on the ground when a man flashed light on me and I ran away.
“I am not happy with what I did and I want to die. I want to die. I have never done this type of thing since God created me on this earth. I am begging for forgiveness.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Awotunde Awosola, while briefing newsmen on the incident, said the suspect would be prosecuted for the crime.
He said: “On December 28, 2019, at about 8pm, one Laulo Isa, a Fulani herdsman, 20, accosted and waylaid one Mary Okereke, 54, on Ufuezeraku Ugwulangwu road in Ohaozara Local Government Area.
“There was a struggle between the two of them but he overpowered the woman and had carnal knowledge of the woman.
“Unfortunately, the woman lost her life during the incident.”
The police commissioner said that the body has been deposited at the hospital for autopsy.
He used the opportunity to assure residents of the readiness of the police to provide adequate security for all the law-abiding citizens in the state.