GUARDIAN TORTURES 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL FOR GETTING RAPED

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.”