A mob on Sunday at Mosaku Street, in Oshodi area of Lagos
State meted out jungle justice on a 28-year-old fashion designer, identified
only as Ituah for allegedly raping a two-year-old girl. Ituah, who was later
dragged to the Akinpelu Police Division, was caught by a neighbour while allegedly
raping the victim. The neighbour reportedly alerted the girl’s mother.
The girl’s mother, identified simply as Mrs. Ajibade, it was
learnt had gone to the toilet to urinate and left the girl in the corridor. The
victim was said to have gone to play with Ituah, who has a shop in front of the
victim’s house, when the suspect allegedly raped her.
A neighbour reportedly caught the fashion designer and
raised the alarm, which attracted a mob. The mob reportedly beat up the suspect
before dragging him to the police station.
The victim’s mother, Ajibade, a trader told The Punch she left the girl in the
corridor so that she would not play with electric appliances in the sitting
room.
She said, "It was around 5pm on Sunday that the incident
happened. We live in a face-me-I-face-you house. The suspect
has a shop in front of our house. I went to the toilet and returned without
seeing my daughter in the corridor. I had left her in the corridor because I
did not want her to play with electric sockets in the house. When I came back,
I could not find her. I did not know she was with the fashion designer. When my
girl was brought from the shop, she just pointed to her private parts and
cried, ‘Ituah, Ituah’. That was how I examined her pants and discovered that
she had been raped.
“We were at the Mirabel Centre on Monday for a checkup. She
is gradually responding to treatment. The suspect’s family members are putting
pressure on us. We do not want any case on the matter.”
After Ituah was mobbed, the matter was also brought to the
attention of a non-governmental organisation in the area, Child Protection
Network, which facilitated his movement to the police station.
The CPN coordinator in the Oshodi area, Ebenezer Omejalile,
said the suspect confessed to have inserted his fingers into the two-year-old’s
private parts, but denied raping her.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo
Badmos, confirmed Ituah’s arrest.
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