12:04 AM
A 45-year-old tailor, identified only as Fasasi, allegedly seized the underwear and clothes of a 16-year-old girl after raping her in the Agege area of Lagos.
It was learnt that the teenager, Comfort (not her real name), a Secondary School Class 1 student was allegedly raped by Fasasi when she ran an errand for her mother.
Fasasi, who has since been arrested by the police, reportedly called the girl and asked her to also buy food for him while she ran the errand for her mother.
Fasasi was said to have led the teenager to his room, when she requested for the plate she was going to buy the food in, he allegedly asked her to remove her clothes and underwear. After she took her clothes and underwear off, he took them away and raped her.
When Fasasi reportedly refused to return her underwear and clothes after the rape, the girl was said to have fled the room naked. It was learnt that one of the suspect’s neighbours noticed the girl and came to her rescue.
The matter was said to have been reported at the Isokoko Police Division, and Fasasi was arrested.
According to Comfort, Fasasi threatened to stab her to death with a knife if she raised any alarm.
She added that when the suspect refused to return her clothes after the rape, she fled the room with one of his wrappers.
She said:
“It was on April 19, 2015, at about 5pm. My mother and I live on Shaiba Street in the Agege area. I had never gone to the tailor’s house before. I did not know he was a rapist.
“On the fateful day, he asked me to follow him inside his room to get the plates that I would use to buy food for him. Once I entered the room, he immediately locked the door behind him. He then brought out a knife and threatened to kill me if I did not undress.
“I begged him, but he did not listen. I was scared that he would kill me, so I obeyed. But after removing my clothes and underwear, he collected them from me, and went out with them. I asked him where he was taking them to; he said he was taking them to his shop.
“Seconds later, he returned and he raped me. I was shouting inside the room, but no one seemed to hear me. When he was done, I asked for my clothes, but he said he would not release them unless he had one more round. As soon as I saw an opportunity, I took one of his wrappers, and forced my way out of his room.”
“When I got outside, I met a woman who was one of Fasasi’s neighbours. When she saw me, she understood what had happened and confronted him.”
A resident, who identified herself simply as Abiola, to said that one Singede bailed the suspect after he was arrested.
She said,
“A week after Fasasi was arrested, we saw him returning to his shop. They said he was arraigned in court, but he had been granted bail. Singede must have secured his bail as usual.”
It was gathered that the suspect, still hasn't returned Comfort’s clothes and underwear to her.
Comfort’s mother urged the police to ensure that the suspect returned her daughter’s clothes.
She said:
“I am afraid of what he might do with my daughter’s underwear. What does he want to do with her clothes? I have been worried since the day this incident happened.”
Our correspondents gathered that the rape incident was also reported to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team.
The DSVRT Coordinator, Mrs. Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, said that a request had been sent for the transfer of the case file to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
“As we speak, the DPP has requested the case file to be forwarded to it. This is a case of alleged defilement, it will be prosecuted by the DPP.”
Punch
