Two muslim students of the Lagos State University (LASU) on Monday narrated
before an Ikeja Special Offences Court how they were robbed and raped at
gunpoint by a fellow student, Afeez Ogunbowale.
The students, who were both wearing niqabs (Islamic garment which covers
the body leaving the eyes uncovered), in a two-hour testimony revealed to the
court that they lost their virginity in the attack.
They made the claims while testifying as prosecuting witnesses during the
trial of Ogunbowale, over alleged robbery and rape.
In his Facebook post, Ogunbowale had attended Moshood Abiola Polytechnic
Abeokuta before coming to LASU in 2017.
Led in evidence by O.A Bajulaiye-Bishi, the prosecuting counsel, the
students, who were roommates, told the court that they were 200 level students
when the alleged rape and robbery occurred on April 18, 2018.
The witnesses told the court that at around 3a.m., a torch was flashed into
their apartment, awakening them suddenly and five men, including Ogunbowale,
who were armed with a gun and machetes, forced themselves in.
Student A (name withheld), 23, told the court “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 here to do and they
assisted in looking for my inhaler. My inhaler was found and they all left my
apartment.”
Student A told the court that they lodged a report at the Ojo Barracks and
they were referred to the Mirabel Center for medical examination and
counselling.
“The case was transferred to the Festac Police Station, then to the Ikeja
Police Station. When the defendant was apprehended and brought to the Ikeja
Police Station, he was shocked when he saw us there.
“He went on his knees and said to us in Yoruba ‘Alhaja please’,” Student A
said.
While being cross-examined by Bisi Salau, the defence counsel, Student A
said that she recognised Ogunbowale as her assailant because she had seen him a
number of times on campus.
She noted that the residence where the alleged crime occurred belonged to
her aunt.
“I was a virgin until the day that incident occurred, I cannot remember the
exact date I went to the Mirabel Center. When I reported the incident at the
Ojo Barracks, they called to inform the Vice-Chancellor of LASU about it.
“The five men who came to our apartment were armed with a gun and the
defendant was the one who carried the gun, he touched me with the gun.
“The defendant has a group of friends in my class and his friend sent me a
friendship request on Facebook.
“When I looked through his friends list, I saw the defendant’s photograph
which I gave to the campus Department of State Security (DSS) official.
“I saw the defendant on campus and alerted the campus security. He was
apprehended in September 2018,” Student A said.
Student B (name withheld),20, while giving her testimony narrated how
Ogunbowale allegedly raped her.
“The defendant took me to the toilet and pointed a gun at my head, 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 me 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 medication because of our school
examination,” she said.
The alleged culprit Ogunbowale pleaded not guilty during his arraignment
for five-counts of robbery and rape.
The case was adjourned till Nov. 25 for further hearing.