It was learnt that the Elere Police Division,
where the rape was reported, had arrested a 32-year-old man, Abiodun Ariyo, as
one of the suspects.
Ariyo, who is a cobbler and reportedly made
advances to Funmi in the past which she refused, allegedly led six of his
friends to abduct and gang-rape the 20-year-old lady. Punch learnt that on Sunday at about 9pm, Funmi
was returning home from her shop when she was said to have been waylaid by
Ariyo on Powerline Road.
The suspect, who reportedly came with six men,
allegedly dragged the lady to a place where she was gang-raped.
Funmi was thereafter taken away to a
yet-to-be-identified building where she was kept till the evening of Monday.
The victim’s family members were said to have
looked everywhere for the lady without success, after which they reported at
the police station.
The gang later sneaked into the area at about
11pm on Monday and dropped off Funmi on her street.
The lady was said to have become unconscious,
as she could not talk for about a day.
Speaking with PUNCH Metro, Funmi’s elder
brother, Olasunkanmi, said the family was distraught while trying to find out
the whereabouts of the victim.
He said, “Abbey (Ariyo) had earlier disturbed
my sister, but she was not interested. Later, he bought her a phone which she
collected. When we learnt about it, we told her to return it as Abbey was not a
responsible man.
“She went to return the phone to Abbey on
Saturday. On Sunday, she was returning home around 9pm from her shop when Abbey
led some guys to rape her.
“They took her to a place where they slept with
her. We searched for her all through Sunday till Monday. I went to her shop,
but her friends said they did not see her. Around 11pm on Monday, she staggered
back home.
“We asked her what happened, but she could not
say anything. It was on the second day, Tuesday, that she told us that it was
Abbey and his friends that gang-raped her.
“She could not recall other faces well, but she
recognised Abbey. However, the police have yet to arrest the other suspects.”
A social worker, identified only as Ike, who
took Funmi for medical examination, said the result was being awaited to know
if the victim had any complication.
She said, “The lady could identify only one
person who has now been arrested. The suspect and his parents live in the same
house. The man is still denying the incident. She has been taken for a medical
test and we are awaiting the result.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that the matter had been
brought to the attention of the Lagos State Domestic and Social Violence
Response Team.
The team’s Coordinator, Lola Vivour-Adeniyi,
said the Department of Public Prosecutions had prepared a letter to request the
duplicate case file once the matter was charged to court.
She said, “When the victim was brought to our
attention, we engaged the Divisional Police Officer and the police ensured the
arrest of one of the key suspects.
“This is a drug-addicted rape, so the lady
could barely recognise the faces. She narrated to us that when she saw Abbey,
they were talking about his phone.
“She suddenly saw different men behind him, and
one of them used a handkerchief to cover her nose. That was the last thing she
knew.
“We are waiting for the result of the medical
tests. So, once the matter is charged to court, we have stood by with the DPP
to request the duplicate case file for advice.”
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