By Sunmola Olowookere
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Four men in their early twenties, Oladele Temitope, Adeyeye Adedeji, Adams Dotun and Wisdom Jacob, are currently standing trial before an Akure High Court for allegedly gang-raping a 15-year-old girl (names withheld), while armed with offensive weapons in Odode-Idanre, Idanre local government area of Ondo state.

The men were slammed with a three-count charge of illegal cult activities, illegal possession of firearms and rape. However, they pleaded “not guilty” to the three count charge preferred against them when it was read to them at the onset of the trial.

According to the prosecution led by Helen Falowo Esq, the defendants who were said to be members of “Eye Fraternity” a cult group, had forcefully had carnal knowledge of the victim, who was a minor.

The victim was reportedly lured to the defendants by one Ojo, whom she claimed was her brother. She said Ojo deliberately left her there with the two men.

The first accused according to the prosecution, had allegedly slapped her when she refused to take off her clothes, ripped off her panties, used it to tie her face and had carnal knowledge of her without using condom.

She stated that she could recognize him as she saw his face before her eyes were covered. She claimed that another man also took her forcefully, while using condom.

The prosecution called the police witness, one DSP Owoloye Olasunkanmi attached to state CID, Akure, to the witness box to testify in the case.

Olasunkanmi stated that he had led his team to carry out a raid on some cultists’ hideouts in the state, following an intelligence report as there had been complaints of cult groups reign of terror in the vicinity.

He testified that they had caught the victim redhanded, while he was forcefully having carnal knowledge of the minor, though his accomplices had fled through the ceiling of the house when police men invaded their hideout.

He said that the first defendant was arrested and taken to the police station where he made a confessional statement that, indeed, he was a member of a cult group while he mentioned the names of his fellow cultists.

Following his testimony, the presiding judge, Justice Samuel Bola adjourned the matter to November 1, 2018 for continuation of hearing.