Three young men who allegedly gang-raped a teenage girl and threatened to kill her have been arrested in Oshogbo, the Osun State Capital.
The 14-year-old victim was reportedly on her way to the tailoring shop on February 12, 2023, where she was an apprentice, when one of the suspects identified as Usman Abiodun Alowonle accosted and lured her to a hotel and forcibly had carnal knowledge of her.
Usman was known to the victim and had earlier professed love to her, but she turned down his advances.
Soon after he had his way with her, six of his friends allegedly entered the room and scornfully made jest of her and threatened to release photos and videos of her nudity unless they also slept with her.
Held down and with her mouth sealed, all six men reportedly gang-raped the victim and repeatedly at least three other times, each time recording the ordeal and threatening to release or kill her if she spoke out.
She eventually braved up and confided in a friend who contacted Value Female Network, a Non-Governmental Organisation that is concerned with advancing who reported the incident to the Department of State Security Service in Osogbo, Osun State.
Three of the seven suspects were arrested on March 31, 2023 and detained by the Department of State Service (DSS); three others are on the run, while one is said to have mysteriously died.
The investigating team also found that aside from the recorded videos on their phones, the perpetrators are also into internet fraud.
On the 4th of April, 2023, three of the perpetrators – Usman Abiodun Alowonle, Malik Tunde kazeem and Sadiq Ademola Bello were arraigned in magistrate court Osogbo.
After the magistrate, Justice Olusegun Ayilara heard from the defendants, he denied their bail application and remanded the perpetrators at the Nigerian Correctional Center in Ilesa till the next court hearing scheduled for 5th June 2023.
The Executive Director of Value Female Network, Costly Aderibigbe-Saba, reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring that the victim gets medical support and justice is served.
* Media Report