'I want justice,' victim tells court

fuad lawal

May 22, 2015 10:04 PM

One of the three women tortured and sodomised in 2013 at the Oba Morufu International Market in Ejigbo, Lagos State, has urged the court to get justice for her

The accused persons were granted bail

Ajoke Agomo along with the others were reportedly beaten and stripped naked by some people, who accused them of stealing pepper at the market.

She testified against the ten accused persons on Thursday at the trial opening before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja.

Led in evidence by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Idowu Alakija, the victim, who identified some of the defendants, said that she was at home when the 1st defendant (Baba Oloja) came and demanded to know the whereabouts of her daughter.

She said:

“I told him that I did not know the whereabouts of my daughter, Nike, and he started searching the house.

When he sighted her at the gate he slapped me. As I rushed to tell my husband, he and another man, named Tinrin, took my daughter away.

When we got to the market place, they had already stripped my daughter and my stepdaughter (Julie) naked.

They then proceeded to strip me naked, tearing my bra and pant in the process. They rubbed pepper all over my face and private parts.

She also alleged that the 1st defendant and others prepared a mixture with pepper and gin and rubbed it into their private parts, using a stick.

They beat us with cane. We pleaded with them, but they did not listen.

Baba Oloja told my husband to bring N150,000 to release us. We begged him and he collected N20,000 from us.

Ajoke added that the Baba Oloja and his cohorts demanded that their landlord ejected them from their apartments.

I sought refuge at a mechanic’s workshop and it was during this process that the baby (Janet) I was nursing died. I am not blaming anyone for her death. I accepted that it is the will of God."

She stated that she returned to her hometown where she was treated for bruises she sustained during the ordeal.

She added that she was later contacted by Dr. Joe Odumakin, who took up her case and took her and her daughters to the House of Assembly.

She asked the court to get justice for her and her daughters.

Earlier, Justice Ipaye had granted bail to the 10 defendants.

The defendants include Isiaka Waidi, 61; Saheed Adisa, 29; Lateef Tijani, 37; Ahmed Adisa, 65; and Azeez Akinosun, 36.

The court adjourned till July 14, 2015 for continuation of trial.

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