Four in court for robbery, rape

By Sunmola  Olowookere
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Four  men in their  early twenties,  alleged to have raped four women in Igbokoda,  Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, are currently  facing   trial  before an Akure High Court.

The  accused persons; Festus Babatunde, Oke Asogbon, Feyijimi Omosuyi and  Juwon  Enikuomehin,  were also accused of armed robbery on a nine-count charge ranging from conspiracy, armed robbery to rape.

They were alleged to have committed the crime between January and February, 2018; to which they entered a ” not guilty ” plea.

The prosecution said they robbed one Roseline Omotehinse of the sum of N256,000 and a techno handset and also took away an Infinix handset from another victim,  Odola Rose.

They were further accused of stripping one  Favour  Omotehinse  of a techno handset, necklace, and a sum of N25,000,  while they  robbed one Ayomikun Iwalewa of  the  sum of N20,000 and an Itel phone.

The  men were said to have been armed with offensive weapons such as cutlasses and knives.

The first two accused persons; Festus Babatunde and Oke Asogbon were also alleged to have raped the four women, while they robbed  them of their valuables.

One of the victims, Iwalewa Ayomikun, while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Bunmi Koyenikan, testified that armed robbers  burst into their room on February, 14, 2018

She said that they  asked for all valuables they had in their room and seized them including their phones while they collected N20,000 from her.

“After robbing us, the armed robbers ordered us to lie face down while they raped  us, one after the other.

“I begged them to spare me,  because  I just had an appendicitis surgery and was still recuperating but they would not listen,” She narrated.

She testified that they brought out a gun as soon as they came in and threatened to kill her if she did not cooperate, hence she could not shout for help.

“The other armed robber squeezed my friends neck and they forced us to get naked, while they raped us. Later, I felt pain in my belly and I went to the hospital for treatment,” she testified.

She said when they reported the case at the Igbokoda police station, her friend had told the police that she recognized the  man raped her through  his face  she saw on the screen of the phone he used as torch.

She added that some months later, they saw him, traced him to where he lived and alerted the police who arrested him.

She stated that the second accused was later arrested by the police  after which they went to the police station upon invitation by the police.

According to her, the second accused person, Oke Asogbon had beg her for  forgiveness on sighting her at the police station, blaming the devil for robbing and raping her.