On Monday, January 4, a 14-year-old
girl, Chigozie (not real name), who had just been brought to Lagos from
Enugu State two weeks before, to live with his uncle at Ajah area of
Lagos, became a victim of one of the now common crimes in Lagos – child
rape.
girl, Chigozie (not real name), who had just been brought to Lagos from
Enugu State two weeks before, to live with his uncle at Ajah area of
Lagos, became a victim of one of the now common crimes in Lagos – child
rape.
Chigozie’s case became a trend on social
media as news broke that the alleged suspect in the crime, a high
ranking official of Exxon Mobil in Lagos, Mr. James Onuoha, had been
arrested by officials from the Zone 2 Police Headquarters, Onikan,
Lagos.
media as news broke that the alleged suspect in the crime, a high
ranking official of Exxon Mobil in Lagos, Mr. James Onuoha, had been
arrested by officials from the Zone 2 Police Headquarters, Onikan,
Lagos.
Saturday PUNCH later got
details of how the man allegedly took advantage of a child he had not
met before in a mini-flat he let out to her uncle.
details of how the man allegedly took advantage of a child he had not
met before in a mini-flat he let out to her uncle.
Chigozie said she was elated when her
uncle told her he was bringing her to Lagos. It was still hard for the
shy girl to speak about the rape.
uncle told her he was bringing her to Lagos. It was still hard for the
shy girl to speak about the rape.
Chigozie said she heard a knock on the
gate of their compound at about 11am that Monday morning and when she
went to check who it was, she met Onuoha at the gate, who told her that
he was the landlord and was looking for her uncle.
gate of their compound at about 11am that Monday morning and when she
went to check who it was, she met Onuoha at the gate, who told her that
he was the landlord and was looking for her uncle.
She said, “I told him my uncle and aunty
were not around and he said he would wait for them. I did not see
anything wrong in that and I opened the gate for him to come in.
were not around and he said he would wait for them. I did not see
anything wrong in that and I opened the gate for him to come in.
“My sister (her four-year-old cousin in
fact) and I were watching cartoon. He sat down to watch with us. Later,
he started to ask how old I was. When I told him, he asked if I wanted a
job. I told him that my uncle had just brought me to Lagos to put me in
school and that I did not want a job.
fact) and I were watching cartoon. He sat down to watch with us. Later,
he started to ask how old I was. When I told him, he asked if I wanted a
job. I told him that my uncle had just brought me to Lagos to put me in
school and that I did not want a job.
“He said he works in a big oil company
and could get me a job if I wanted. I told him no. He later asked if I
had a phone and what my phone number was. I told him I did not know my
phone number by heart and he took my phone to look at it.”
and could get me a job if I wanted. I told him no. He later asked if I
had a phone and what my phone number was. I told him I did not know my
phone number by heart and he took my phone to look at it.”
Chigozie explained that, she stood up to
go inside the room to arrange some things because she was no longer
comfortable sitting and chatting with the man.
go inside the room to arrange some things because she was no longer
comfortable sitting and chatting with the man.
According to her, she found it curious that as soon as she stood up, the man followed her.
“He followed me into the room. He then
opened the toilet of the master bedroom and looked inside there. He also
checked inside the wardrobe. When I asked what he was looking for, he
said he needed to be sure that I was not lying that my uncle and aunty
were not around.
opened the toilet of the master bedroom and looked inside there. He also
checked inside the wardrobe. When I asked what he was looking for, he
said he needed to be sure that I was not lying that my uncle and aunty
were not around.
“After he was done, I waited for him to
leave the room but he did not. He grabbed me and pushed me on the bed.
When he realised that I was shouting, he took one of the pillows on the
bed and used it to cover my face.”
leave the room but he did not. He grabbed me and pushed me on the bed.
When he realised that I was shouting, he took one of the pillows on the
bed and used it to cover my face.”
All this happened in the presence of the four-year-old daughter of Chigozie’s uncle.
Chigozie said when Onuoha was done, he dropped N1,000 on the bed.
“He told me to use it to take care of
myself. He said when he came back the following day, he would get me a
better phone,” she said.
myself. He said when he came back the following day, he would get me a
better phone,” she said.
But the traumatised girl broke down in tears as the man exited the house.
Her uncle’s wife got home first and discovered what happened.
Chigozie’s uncle told our correspondent
that when his wife got home and saw the girl crumbled on the floor and
crying, she asked what was wrong and she got no answer from her as the
girl cried uncontrollably.
that when his wife got home and saw the girl crumbled on the floor and
crying, she asked what was wrong and she got no answer from her as the
girl cried uncontrollably.
He said, “I had earlier missed calls
from my landlord and my wife. I was in the market at the time and could
not call them back. When I had the chance, I called my wife and she
asked if I had got a call from our landlord. I said no. She said she
just got home and found my niece crying.
from my landlord and my wife. I was in the market at the time and could
not call them back. When I had the chance, I called my wife and she
asked if I had got a call from our landlord. I said no. She said she
just got home and found my niece crying.
“When my wife asked her what was wrong
and my niece could not explain, my daughter took her to the bedroom and
started demonstrating what happened. My wife told me that my daughter
lay on the bed and spread her legs. The girl stood up again then started
making a humping motion and said ‘Landlord did like this and like this.
That is what landlord did to Aunty…on your bed’. The little girl
demonstrated everything that happened in her presence in the room.
and my niece could not explain, my daughter took her to the bedroom and
started demonstrating what happened. My wife told me that my daughter
lay on the bed and spread her legs. The girl stood up again then started
making a humping motion and said ‘Landlord did like this and like this.
That is what landlord did to Aunty…on your bed’. The little girl
demonstrated everything that happened in her presence in the room.
“I was mad. I rushed home and still
found my niece crying. Again, my daughter took me to the room and
started to demonstrate ‘what landlord did to aunty’.”
found my niece crying. Again, my daughter took me to the room and
started to demonstrate ‘what landlord did to aunty’.”
The man said since he did not want to make any mistake that would scuttle their case, he instantly called a lawyer.
According to him, the lawyer told him he needed to get confirmation that the landlord was indeed in their house.
Chigozie’s uncle said, “I called my
landlord and apologised to him that I missed his calls. I told him that I
had been trying to call him so that we could negotiate when I would pay
his outstanding rent.
landlord and apologised to him that I missed his calls. I told him that I
had been trying to call him so that we could negotiate when I would pay
his outstanding rent.
“I owe him some months of rent and that
was why he came to our house in the first place. He said that he was in
my house when he was calling me and that even my wife was not around
too.
was why he came to our house in the first place. He said that he was in
my house when he was calling me and that even my wife was not around
too.
“I apologised to him and said if he had
told me that he was coming, I would have prepared for him. That was how I
knew that my little girl was not lying that he was indeed at my house.”
told me that he was coming, I would have prepared for him. That was how I
knew that my little girl was not lying that he was indeed at my house.”
Saturday PUNCH learnt that
after the case was reported at the Langbasa Police Division, Ajah,
Onuoha refused to report when he was summoned. He allegedly went to the
Zone 2 Police Command to make a counter report against Chidera’s uncle.
after the case was reported at the Langbasa Police Division, Ajah,
Onuoha refused to report when he was summoned. He allegedly went to the
Zone 2 Police Command to make a counter report against Chidera’s uncle.
A policeman at the Langbasa division
said one of their colleagues at Zone 2 suddenly came and collected the
case file, the report of the test conducted on the girl and every
evidence relating to the case.
said one of their colleagues at Zone 2 suddenly came and collected the
case file, the report of the test conducted on the girl and every
evidence relating to the case.