The police have arrested four robbery
suspects at the Ikeja area of Lagos State while they were having carnal
knowledge of their victim, one Ogbonna, who was on her way to the
office.
Our correspondent learnt that the
suspects- Tochuckwu Ilom (21), Confidence Oziegbe (20), Simon Peter (25)
and Nnemeka Ugochukwu (26) – had first dispossessed Ogbonna of her
valuables before taking turns to rape her.
It was gathered that the victim and three
of her friends were walking along Airport Road, Ikeja, around 6am on
the fateful day when they were attacked by the robbers, who were with
guns and other weapons.
The ladies, who were on their way to the office, reportedly took to their heels.
It was learnt that while three of the
ladies escaped, the robbers caught up with Ogbonna and dispossessed her
of her Samsung Galaxy handset and a cash sum of N2, 200.
Meanwhile, her other friends who had
escaped, were said to have met a police patrol van, which they stopped,
and alerted the policemen to the incident.
The policemen were said to have trailed the robbers and found them under the bridge while taking turns to rape the victim.
Some of the robbers were said to have fled the scene, while the police arrested the four suspects.
They were arraigned before an Ebute Meta Magistrate’s court on four counts of armed robbery and rape.
The charges read in part, “That you,
Tochuckwu Ilom, Confidence Oziegbe, Simon Peter, and Nnemeka Ugochukwu
and others at large, on April 11, 2014 at about 6am at Apakun area,
under the bridge, along Airport Road, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial
District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; armed
robbery and rape.
“That you, while armed with a gun and
other offensive weapons, did rob one Ogbonna, of her Samsung Galaxy
handset valued 40,000 and cash sum of N2,200 total valued N62,000.
“That you and others at large did unlawfully have sexual intercourse with Ogbonna, without her consent.”
The police prosecutor, Ishola Samuel,
said the offences were punishable under sections 295, 258 and 261 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.
The Investigating Police Officer,
Corporal Monday Abam of the State Criminal Investigation Department, in a
remand application told the court that the defendants were arrested
with “one earring, ladies’ head ties, pendants, and torn clothes.”
He added that although investigation was
ongoing, the defendants had confessed to the crime and witnesses were
available to testify in court.
The police prosecutor asked the court to
remand the defendants in prison pending the release of the legal advice
from the Directorate of Public Prosecution.
Samuel said, “Our request is sequel to
Section 264(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos
State, 2011. The remand will help the police conclude investigations as
well as duplicate the case file for the DPP’s advice.”
The magistrate, Mrs. M.O. Tanimola,
agreed to remand the defendants in the Ikoyi prison for the first 30
days permitted by the law.
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