police in Ipaja-Ayobo area of Lagos State, southwest Nigeria have arrested a man who allegedly defiled eight children. He is now being detained, awaiting arraignment in court.The suspect, Mr. Temitope Alo was arrested on Saturday at Koloba area of Ayobo after the children allegedly confessed that he had raped them.
The eight victims, whose ages range from eight to 15 years were brought to the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA yesterday by the Vice Chairman, Ipaja-Ayobo Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Alhaja Falilat Ajijola to enable the state government to take over the case.
The victim said he works for a newspaper company (name withheld) in Lagos and allegedly lured the children to his apartment where he defiled them and threatened to kill them if they reported the matter.
Tests conducted on the eight children at the Ayobo-Ipaja Primary Health Centre, PHC, showed that the children had been defiled.
A top official of the WAPA Ministry told P.M.NEWS that the ministry had been handling rape cases but they had never recorded a case where a man serially raped eight children.
The news of the rape caused a stir at the WAPA ministry as the staff rained curses on the alleged rapist.
According to the Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA Vice Chairman, Ajijola, last week a case of rape was reported to the Neighbourhood Watch office at the council but when enquiries were made, the traditional ruler of Koloba was said to have denied that such a thing happened in his area.
She said a few days later, the former council chairman of Ayobo-Ipaja, Bisi Yusuf reported that the incident actually happened and that further investigation traced the rape case to the culprit, who was promptly arrested.
Ajijola added that the traditional ruler, Chief Babayanju, later opened up and admitted that the story was true, while eight children came forward to report that they were allegedly raped by Alo.
The vice chairman said the children were taken to the PHC in the area where tests were conducted on them and it was confirmed that the children had been defiled.
Two children of a community leader in the area were among the victims.
Chairman, Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA, Alhaji Shakiru Adisa Yusuf said he was shocked when he heard the story, adding that such a person is worse than an animal.
“I was shocked because I am also a parent. Why must he go after innocent children? Such people should not live in this community,” he said, adding that the council would pursue the case to ensure that justice was done.
“We will collect the tests conducted on the children and hand them over to the state government. We will pursue the case to a logical conclusion. This man has brought disgrace to this community,” he said.
Acting Director, Child Development, WAPA Ministry, Mrs Mosunmola Dada said the issue was disgusting, adding that such a man must be a paedophile and vowed that the government would ensure that he was prosecuted.
“We have evidences against him. The Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA has a medical report on this case. We will monitor and follow up this case,” she said.
The suspect, in his statement at the Ayobo Police Station, was said to have admitted that he raped some children, but that he only raped four and not eight.
P.M.NEWS could not get to him as he was in custody of the police, while the Divisional Police Officer, DPO of the station was not around for comments.
One of the victims, an eight years old girl (name withheld) told P.M.NEWS that the suspect told them to help him arrange newspapers in his apartment, adding that, “after that, he told us to go into the next room.
“He asked us to remove our panties and I asked him what he wanted to do to us. He laid me on the bed and defiled me four times. He covered our mouths with white handkerchief and threatened to kill us if we report,” she said.
Another victim, a 12 years old girl (name withheld) alleged that the suspect “licked my private part. He called me and my friend in. He asked me to bring N100 fufu for him, which I brought. While I was waiting for the money with my friend, he asked my friend whether she could keep a secret.
“He asked me to pull off my panties but I did not answer and he forced me and licked my private part while he slept with my friend and defiled her too. He gave us N50. I told my friend that I will tell my mummy, but he threatened to kill us if we told anybody.”
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