By Victor Ogunje
A group, Women Empower-ment and Legal Aid, led by Mrs. Funmi Falana, wife of the Lagos human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), has petitioned the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Babatubde Mobayo, over alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl in the state.
Falana, the chairperson of a group, in a petition dated August 11, 2020, and addressed to the police commissioner, alleged that the girl, a groundnut hawker, was alleged to have been sexually molested by a commercial motorcyclist in Ado Ekiti metropolis.
The petition, which was signed by a legal practitioner, Taiwo Omidoyin of Falana and Falana Chamber, revealed that the victim was allegedly raped in a bush within the vicinity of the state secretariat in Ado Ekiti while hawking groundnut on August 10, 2020.
Falana stated that the teenager was approached by the motorcyclist, who promised to give her a ride to a waiting customer, but allegedly took the victim to another location, where he allegedly molested the girl sexually.
“We received a complaint from the family members of our client, Miss Folasade, 16, who was a victim of rape, assault, and inhuman treatment.
“Our client was around the vicinity of the Secretariat Road in Ado Ekiti on August 10, 2020, when a motorcyclist approached her and told her that someone wanted to buy groundnut, which she was selling at that time.
“The motorcyclist offered to convey her to the purported customer. As soon as the girl joined him, the motorcycle rider rode off to an unknown destination, tricked, threatened, assaulted her and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her after robbing her of some money.
“It was some good Samaritans who heard her cry that rushed to the said apartment and apprehended the perpetrator and handed him over to the police.
“We have heard that the perpetrator is being detained while our client is currently receiving treatment in the hospital,” he said.
Falana said the petition was primarily targeted at urging the police to do a thorough investigation and ensure diligent prosecution of the culprit in order to sanitise the state and rid it of prowling rapists.
