…as another recounts how she escaped

By Tola Gbadamosi

|

An 18-year old girl has shared the harrowing experience of being lured under false pretences and subjected to a brutal assault by a predator while attempting to conduct a business transaction.

 The victim was allegedly raped at knifepoint by a supposed customer while selling super glue in Ondo State.

 The alleged serial rapist, Ayodele ljilakinro, was among 28 suspected criminals paraded at the Ondo State Amotekun Corps Headquarters in Akure by the Corps Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye.

Ijilakinro, a 55-year-old ex-convict, had recently completed a three-year jail term for a similar offence at the Olokuta Prison in Akure.

 According to the victim, the incident occurred on April 25, last year, when she travelled to Idanre to sell her product.

 “A man approached me, inquiring about the price of the super glue.

 “After agreeing on a price, he claimed he did not have the money at that moment and requested my phone number, promising to call later.

“True to his word, he called the next day, asking if I had the product available.

“I sourced the glue from a colleague and arranged to meet him in Owena, a town in Ondo State. Upon arrival, he directed me to a secluded location, under the pretence of leading me to his camp where he claimed to have cash,” she narrated.

 The victim, sensing no immediate danger, followed him on his motorcycle. However, as they veered off the main road towards a stone-breaking site near Alade, she grew uneasy. The suspect accelerated at high speed, ignoring her questions about their destination.

 Sensing imminent danger, “I attempted to escape by jumping off the moving bike, injuring myself in the process. Undeterred, the assailant chased me down and subjected me to severe physical assault before forcibly raping me.

 Recounting her ordeal, she described how the man falsely accused her of owing him money and ignored her protests. “He said he must sleep with me.

 I was too weak to resist after the severe beating,” she lamented.

In a similar incident, a woman in Idanre narrowly escaped an attempted assault by the same suspect, who allegedly lured her into a secluded area under false pretences.

 According to her, the incident occurred on  January  26, while she was travelling with her mother on a motorcycle.

 She recounted how the suspect expressed interest in purchasing the five litres of super glue she was carrying but claimed he did not have enough cash and promised to buy it the next day.

 “On Sunday, I met the rider again, but he insisted he still didn’t have cash and suggested we go to his store to collect the money. Trusting him, I agreed to follow him.

 “As we rode through various locations, we eventually stopped near a locked house where he claimed his boys had the key, but were out cutting bamboo.

“He, then led me into a cocoa plantation, where he revealed his true intentions.

“He parked the bike, called out into the bush, and when no one answered, he took out a knife from a handkerchief and told me I was in trouble,” she explained.

 She said the attacker then forcefully took her phone, removed the SIM card, and attempted to assault her.

“I fought back desperately, despite sustaining injuries on my hand and leg. After a tense struggle,  he gave up, muttering that I have been ‘saved by God’ before he jumped on his motorcycle left me alone in the bush,”the victim added.

 The case underscores the need for vigilance, particularly among young business people dealing with strangers.