The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a guardian, Edwin Alagbaso, for allegedly torturing a 12-year-old rape victim.
Alagbaso, who used razor blade, knife and an iron rod to punish the victim, blamed her for “causing the rape”.
A 22-year-old man, Uche Chibueze, who raped the minor, was also arrested by the police.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Chibueze, on April 15, 2013, had sex with the victim near the home of her guardian located at number 1 Magente Street, Pipeline, Akute.
Chibueze, however, told our correspondent that he did not rape the victim since it was consensual.
He said, “I was at a friend’s gathering when she came to me saying she had spiritual problem and wanted to know her real family. I told her that she should follow me to Solution Church which was nearby and she agreed.
“On our way to the place, I took her to a corner of the street and took off her clothes. I also took off my shorts and I had not fully penetrated when a resident caught us and raised the alarm. I tried to flee but they apprehended me. I explained to them that it was not rape but they did not listen to me.”
It was learnt that Chibueze and the victim were taken back to Alagbaso’s house. The guardian in a rage picked a knife and stabbed him in the palm.
“The man (Alagbaso) went for a kitchen knife and wanted to kill me, but I grabbed it from him. He, however, stabbed me in the palm,” Chibueze said.
Unable to do anything with the child molester, Alagbaso was said to have picked a razor blade and inflicted injuries on the scalp of the 12-year-old.
Not done, he allegedly used an iron rod to beat the victim and later used a knife to cut her in the legs.
As the victim was reportedly bleeding from the head and other parts of the body, the residents, who had been pleading, intervened and took her to the hospital.
The residents also invited policemen from Ajuwon Division.
Alagbaso, however, told PUNCH Metro that he beat the victim to prevent her from being raped in future.
He said, “When I got home from work, I looked for her everywhere but did not find her. She left my three little children at home alone in the dark and went out with Chibueze. It was while she was out with him that he raped her.
“I punished her by shaving off her hair so that she would not look attractive again and men would not want to rape her in future. I also beat her so that she would not go out without permission because if she dies, people will blame me since I was the one that brought her to Lagos.
“I did not mean to beat her up to that extent, but I was angry. It was the devil that pushed me to beat her so much. However, the police do not have the right to detain me since I am the guardian and I have the right to correct her.”
Our correspondent, who visited the victim at Comforter Hospital, learnt that she was responding to treatment.
The victim said although Alagbaso’s wife was her aunty.
She said, “He beat me up so much that I thought I would die. He brought me to Lagos in 2010 but I only started attending school some months ago and he does not allow me to go to school all the time. Sometimes, he tells me to stay at the shop.
A copy of the medical report made available to our correspondent read in part that her ‘vaginal hymen was partially intact’.
It stated further that she sustained injuries to the scalp, swollen fingers, bruised abdomen and swollen eyes and mouth.
The Director, Project Alert on Violence Against Women, Dr. Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, said the victim should be taken away from Alagbaso.
She decried the rise in cases of child abuse and rape and commended the police for the timely intervention.
When contacted for comment, the spokesman for the state police command, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident.
He said, “The rapist and the guardian are both in custody. The guardian has a case to answer for inflicting injuries on the victim with razor blade. They will be brought to book.”
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