A 45-year-old tailor, identified only as Fasasi, has allegedly seized the underwear and clothes of a 16-year-old girl after raping her in the Agege area of Lagos.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the teenager, Comfort (pseudonym), who was a Secondary School Class 1 pupil, was allegedly raped by Fasasi when she ran an errand for her mother.
Our correspondents gathered that Fasasi, who had been arrested by the police, reportedly called the girl and asked her to also buy food for him while she ran the errand for her mother.
Fasasi was said to have led the teenager to his room, when she requested his plate, and allegedly asked her to remove her clothes and underwear.
It was gathered that the tailor allegedly packed the underwear and the clothes away and raped Comfort.
When Fasasi reportedly refused to return her underwear and clothes after the rape, the girl was said to have fled the room. It was learnt that one of the suspect’s neighbours noticed the girl and came to her rescue.
The matter was said to have been reported at the Isokoko Police Division, and Fasasi was arrested.
Speaking with PUNCH Metro, Comfort said Fasasi threatened to stab her to death with a knife if she raised the alarm.
She added that when the suspect refused to return her clothes after the rape, she fled the room with one of his wrappers.
She said, “It was on April 19, 2015, at about 5pm. My mother and I live on Shaiba Street in the Agege area. I had never gone to the tailor’s house before. I did not know he was a rapist.
“On the fateful day, he asked me to follow him inside his room to get the plates that I would use to buy food for him. Once I entered the room, he immediately locked the door behind him. He then brought out a knife and threatened to kill me if I did not undress.
“I begged him, but he did not listen. I was scared that he would kill me, so I obeyed. But after removing my clothes and underwear, he collected them from me, and went out with them. I asked him where he was taking them to; he said he was taking them to his shop.
“Seconds later, he returned and he raped me. I was shouting inside the room, but no one seemed to hear me. When he was done, I asked for my clothes, but he said he would not release them unless he had one more round. As soon as I saw an opportunity, I took one of his wrappers, and forced my way out of his room.”
Comfort added that it was when she ran out of the room that one of Fasasi’s neighbours noticed and came to her rescue.
“When I got outside, I met a woman who was one of Fasasi’s neighbours. When she saw me, she understood what had happened and confronted him.”
A resident, who identified herself simply as Abiola, told our correspondents that one Singede usually bailed the suspect whenever he was arrested by the police.
She said, “A week after Fasasi was arrested, we saw him returning to his shop. They said he was arraigned in court, but he had been granted bail. Singede must have secured his bail as usual.”
Our correspondents gathered that the suspect, however, had yet to return Comfort’s clothes and underwear to her.
It was learnt from a source in Fasasi’s house that the suspect might have thrown the clothes away.
Speaking with PUNCH Metro, Comfort’s mother urged the police to ensure that the suspect returned her daughter’s clothes.
She said, “I am afraid of what he might do with my daughter’s underwear. What does he want to do with her clothes? I have been worried since the day this incident happened.”
Our correspondents gathered that the rape incident was also reported to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team.
The DSVRT Coordinator, Mrs. Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, told PUNCH Metro that a request had been sent for the transfer of the case file to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
She said, “It was a non-governmental organisation that brought the matter to our attention. What we then did was to refer the victim to Mirabel Centre for proper treatment. We also made a report to the police to ensure that the suspect was arrested and charged to court.
“As we speak, the DPP has requested the case file to be forwarded to it. This is a case of alleged defilement, it will be prosecuted by the DPP.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin, had yet to reply to a text message sent to her phone.
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