LASU student robbed, deflowered us –Victims

An Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos, yesterday heard how two Muslim students (name withheld) of the Lagos State University (LASU) were allegedly robbed and raped at gunpoint by a fellow student.

The students, who were both wearing “hijab” (an Islamic garment which covers the body leaving the eyes uncovered), told the court that they both lost their virginity during the attack.

The victims, who are students of the Art and Education Faculties of the institution, testified as witnesses in the trial of a fellow student of LASU, Afeez Ogunbowale, for alleged armed robbery and rape.

Ogunbowale was arraigned on a five-count charge of armed robbery and rape.

While being led in evidence by Mrs. O. A. Bajulaiye-Bishi, the prosecution counsel, the students, who were roommates, said that they were 200 Level students when the alleged rape and armed robbery occurred on April 18, 2018 at the Okokomaiko area of Lagos.

The witnesses told the court that that about 3a.m., the light of a torch was flashed into their apartment, and immediately, five men, including Ogunbowale, armed with a gun and machetes forced themselves into their apartment.

The first witness (Victim A), aged 23, told the court that “they took three phones, a gold chain, earpiece, power bank and N1,200. Three of the men left, leaving the defendant and one other person who I cannot identify.

“The defendant told the other guy ‘I want to sleep with these girls’. The defendant went to the toilet with my roommate while the second man tried to rape me.

“The second man could not penetrate me because I had an asthmatic attack and the second man left me to swap places with the defendant.

“The defendant came and had sex with me while I had the asthmatic attack and my roommate was screaming and pleading for him to leave me alone and he said in pidgin English ‘if she wan die, make she die’.

“The other three men came back into the apartment and saw the chaos. They told the two other men that this was not what they came to do and they assisted in looking for my inhaler. My inhaler was found and they all left my apartment.”

The victim said she was a virgin until the defendant raped her.

Victim B, aged 20, in her evidence, said the defendant took her to the toilet and pointed a gun at her head.

She said: “That day I was still a virgin and it was difficult for him to penetrate into me. He said to me ‘you never do am before.’

“He took me to a chair and raped and the second man left my roommate and exchanged places with him and raped me as well.

“After we had reported the incident to authorities, we were examined and counselled. We had to go there over a long period of time but we had to cut that short because of our exams.

“We could not even take some of our medications because of our school examination.”

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo (Mrs) ordered that Ogunbowale continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted him by Justice Yetunde Adesanya before the case was transferred to her court.

The judge also warned the defendant that neither him nor his friends should threaten the witnesses otherwise his bail would be revoked.

She said: “The defence counsel Mr Bisi Salau who is from the chambers of Mr Lanre Ogunlesi, a reputable Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) has undertaken to drop his qualifying certificates to ensure the defendant comes to court.

“This case is adjourned till November 25 for further hearing.”