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Victims of serial rapists in Ibeshe, near Ikorodu, Lagos, have relived their ordeal in the hands of Badoo
The incident has also pitted residents of the community against their monarch, who they accused of being insensitive to their plights.
A five-year-old Adeshewa Adegbite, who resides with her parents in Ibeshe Titun, said she was defiled after she was dragged beside her sleeping mother, Temitope.Adeshewa is left struggling with health challenges after the rape incident.
According to a medical report made available to The Nation, she is suffering from multiple lacerations in her private part. These lacerations consequently led to Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), a serious medical condition that destroys the use of the private part.
Olgbenga, her father, lamented the alleged inaction of Ipakodo Divisonal Police Station as he said they only feasted their eyes on his daughter’s injured anatomy.
He appealed to the state government to assist with medical bills, saying:
“We are low-income earners.”
Mabel, a seven-year-old girl and her grandmother also fell victims of the serial rapist. They were raped same night in their apartment.Mabel was defiled while trying to raise the alarm when her 86-year-old grandmother was being raped.
The Nation learnt that Mabel has not only become physically injured with fractures, she has also become mentally deranged, from the incident.
She shakes violently at the sight of strange faces. Her grandmother is appealing for financial assistance from the government.
A resident said another 14-year-old girl victim, whose identity was not revealed, sustained serious injuries.
“The aftermath of any rape case, especially in this community is stigmatisation. The victims and their families are no longer free to act as normal as they used to because of stigmatisation,” Elizabeth, another resident said.
The Ibeshe Joint Community Development Association (CDA) chairman, Fred Olaonipekun, said the perpetrators are not deterred by the little media publicity raised on the issue.
“We believe that a personal intervention by the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is the only solution to this case,” Olaonipekun said.
Some residents had protested at the monarch’s palace, accusing him of indifference.
Oba Abayomi told The Nation that his alleged inaction over the rape cases was pure defamation of his character.
He said he had ordered investigations into the serial rape case and traditional atonement worth N700,000 was done in respect of the case.
The effort, the Oba said, led to the apprehension of the first Badoo.
“Their anger was born out of my refusal to allow them take laws into their hands and lynch the suspect after they brought him to the palace. Eventually, the palace was vandalised by the aggrieved protesters,” he said.
The monarch appealed to Governor Ambode to take over lands that have been lying fallow for too long.
Doing this, he said, will bring development such as schools, community health centres to Ibeshe town.
He said investigations showed that the suspected rapists and miscreants use the uninhabited buildings and lands as their hideouts.
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