Following the arrest of a serial rapist in Ikorodu, Lagos State, victims have been forced to relive their painful experiences at the hand of the suspect among many others.
The suspect and others are said to have turned the residents of the community against their monarch who they have accused of being insensitive to their plight.
Child and adult victims have opened up on the stigmatisation, shame, and medical implications of their ordeal at the hands of Badoo.
Five-year-old Adeshewa Adegbite, residing with her parents in Ibeshe Titun, is still facing health challenges after being defiled by the suspect.
According to a medical report, Adeshewa is reportedly suffering from multiple lacerations in her private part which consequently led to Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), a serious medical condition that destroys the use of the private part, The Nation reports.
The father of the young victim, Olgbenga, lamented over the alleged inaction of Ipakodo Divisional Police Station in the matter, appealing to the state government to assist him with the required medical bills,
Another victim, Mabel, aged 7, and her grandmother also fell victims of the serial rapist. They were both raped on the same night in their apartment.
Mabel reportedly fell victim while trying to raise the alarm to help her 86-year-old grandmother who was being raped.
According to the Nation, Mabel is not only physically injured with fractures but is been mentally deranged since the incident.
Another 14-year-old girl is reported to have fallen victim to the serial rapist.
A resident of the area identified as Elizabeth, said:
“The aftermath of any rape case, especially in this community is stigmatisation. The victims and their families are no longer free to act as normal as they used to because of stigmatisation.
The Ibeshe Joint Community Development Association (CDA) chairman, Fred Olaonipekun, has revealed that the little media publicity carried out on the issues has done little to deter the perpetrators.
“We believe that a personal intervention by the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is the only solution to this case,”Olaonipekun said.
The monarch, Oba Abayomi disclosed to The Nation that his alleged inaction over the cases of rape in the community was in fact defamation of his character.
Oba Abayomi went on to say that he has ordered further investigations to be carried out while traditional atonement which cost N700,000 was done in respect of these cases. These efforts on his part reportedly led to the arrest of the first suspect.
“Their anger was born out of my refusal to allow them take laws into their hands and lynch the suspect after they brought him to the palace. Eventually, the palace was vandalised by the aggrieved protesters,” he said.
The monarch also appealed to Governor Ambode to take over some of the lands in the community seeing as the miscreants perpetrated these dastardly acts in abandoned buildings and lands which have been lying fallow for too long, adding that they can be used as for schools, community health centres and the like which would bring development to Ibeshe community.
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