Police rearrest, arraign man who raped 15-year-old girl...

Policemen from Meiran Police Division in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government, Lagos State have rearrested Mr. Taju Adejumo, who allegedly raped and impregnated a minor, Deborah Jolaosho.

It was learnt that Adejumo was arrested on Wednesday and immediately charged to an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court.

PUNCH Metro on Wednesday did an expose on how the 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped, deflowered and impregnated by the 40-year-old welder.

When Punch Metro visited the Jolaoshos on Monday, Deborah, who is seven-month pregnant, narrated her tale of woe, saying she found herself in her present condition after her mother, Rachel, asked her to go to a construction site and bring back a plastic drum borrowed from her by Adejumo.

She had said immediately she got there, Adejumo told her that the drum was kept upstairs and that she should go there and carry it.

She said she did not know that Adejumo had hatched a plan to rape her, alleging that the suspect held her tightly, closed her mouth with clothes and tied her with ropes.

Deborah had said, “After doing those things, he had sex with me. Because I have not had sex before, I had bruises and blood covered my private part. After the rape, he still left me tied but he removed the pieces of clothes in my mouth.”

PUNCH Metro learnt from a reliable source on Wednesday that the police hurriedly arraigned the suspect because they did not want to be seen to have compromised on the matter.

It was further learnt that the suspect had been remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, Lagos and that the case had been adjourned till March 4 for further hearing.

Some online readers faulted the police justification on Wednesday that they had not arraigned the suspect because he (suspect) and the girl’s father, Israel Jolaosho, had agreed to settle the matter out of court without police consent.

A reader, who gave his name only as Sirajo, said, “If it is a case against the state as police claimed, then the consent or dissent of the parents has no bearing on anything here.

Please go and arrest this goon and put him where he belongs.”

Another reader, Mr. Ajayi K, said the police should not have released the suspect in the first place.

Ajayi wrote, “The victim is a minor and it is a serious crime. Why did the police release him in the first instance? I suspect the police officer who released him must have collected bribe.

“The rapist ought to have been remanded in prison from where he should be arraigned. The Lagos State Governor should please ensure that the rapist is rearrested and prosecuted in order to serve as a deterrent to other rapists.”

source - Punch