Operatives attached to Ejigbo Division of Lagos State Police Command have arrested four suspected sex offenders who allegedly gang-raped a teenager.
The suspects were identified as Jimoh Kamoru, Lukman Basit, Aleshinloye Sunday and IfeOluwa Alabi, all aged 16 years.
Police spokesman in the state, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who disclosed the arrest, said that the incident occurred on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at about 10p.m.
A report to the police by the victim’s mother, named Tawa Abbey, of 200, Mafo Bus Stop, Idimu Road, Ejigbo, indicated that a group of boys attacked her daughter (name withheld) with dangerous weapon, when she was accosted while going to buy food to eat at Lafenwa Street, Ejigbo.
Threatening to kill her if she would not succumb, the suspects forcefully had carnal knowledge of her in a room at 33, Alhaji Obe Street, Ejigbo.
Adejobi said that the report made the Divisional Police Officer, Ejigbo Division, to mobilise his men to the scene, leading to the arrest of four boys.
Items recovered from them included cutlasses and substances suspected to be Indian hemp.
The PPRO said that the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, had ordered the DPO to go after the fleeing members of the group and intensify efforts in ridding Ejigbo area of bad boys, said to be fond of attacking and gang-raping innocent ladies and causing pains to them.
The police commissioner reiterated the command’s zeal to work with other governmental agencies and interest groups, to fight against social vices, particularly rape, defilement and domestic violence.
Odumosu also directed that the matter be transferred to the Gender Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, for investigation and prosecution, while he assured the general public of justice in the case.
A source informed Thenewsbearer that one of the suspects is a child of one of the chiefs of the Ejigbo monarch, saying that this had initially created fear in the victim’s parents in reporting to the police.
It was also learnt that the suspects were seven in number, out of whom four were arrested.
It will be recalled that a similar incident occurred in 2020, when 13-year-old Favour Okechukwu was raped to death in September, at the same Ejigbo.
Ejigbo community has been tagged a den of rapists, while a traditional leader (name withheld) was also accused of land grabbing.