Construction worker allegedly rapes ailing lady in Ogun

A construction worker named Adeshina Adewale has allegedly raped a 20-year-old woman in the Itori area of Ewekoro Local Government, Ogun State.

PUNCH Metro learnt on Wednesday that the suspect committed the crime on August 14, 2024, while the woman was experiencing abdominal pain.

The survivor’s mother, Abiodun Odunlami, a food vendor in the community frequented by workers for breakfast and lunch, reportedly left her daughter in charge of the shop while she was on a trip.

Because of late sales that delayed her from going home, our correspondent gathered that the survivor chose to spend the night in her mother’s makeshift room, located near the shops where they serve food to customers.

Odunlami said, “He came to our shop to buy food, but my daughter informed him that it was sold out, so he left. Much later that night, he returned, telling my daughter that his company’s gate was locked and he needed a place to sleep.

“Since he had been a longtime customer, my daughter gave him the key to a shop near where we sleep. We had no idea he harboured ill intentions towards her. He left the shop and, at around 3 am, entered my room and raped my daughter.

“He didn’t show up until four days later and began apologising, saying he didn’t know what came over him and expressing remorse for what he had done.”

The founder of DOHS Cares Foundation, a non-governmental organisation focused on combating gender-based violence, Ololade Ajayi, accompanied the family to report the incident at the Ewekoro Police Division, accusing the suspect of taking advantage of the survivor’s health condition to commit the crime.

She said, “Everyone knew the girl wasn’t feeling well that day, and someone even gave her medication for her ulcer. She stayed at the shop because her mother was away, remaining there until around 10 p.m. when she went to sleep. But at around 3:00 a.m., she felt someone touching her, and due to her illness, she couldn’t even cry out for help.

“He entered the room where the survivor was sleeping, choked her, removed her underwear, and raped her. Afterwards, he tossed N2,000 on her chest and left.

“The girl later said she threw the money outside before getting up the next morning. The police in Ewekoro handled the situation with great professionalism. The suspect has been arrested, and we are committed to ensuring that justice is served.”

Ajayi expressed concern about the increasing cases of rape and defilement, particularly against minors and young girls, across the country.

She urged more Nigerians to report such incidents to the authorities to help “break the cycle of violence in our society.”

She added, “We have a zero-tolerance policy for rape because no woman or girl deserves to be abused. Last year, we rescued 72 victims from various abuse situations, and this year, the number has already doubled, even though we have only completed the first half of the year.

“We are committed to ensuring that this victim receives justice. As soon as we learnt about the case, we took immediate action by helping the survivor report it to the police, facilitating the perpetrator’s arrest, and arranging trauma healing services. We will continue to support her throughout the justice process.”

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Command spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, who spoke with our correspondent via WhatsApp on Wednesday, said she had not yet been informed about the matter. She promised to provide details once she had more information.

“We have not been made aware of the incident yet. I will look into it and get back to you,” she said. She was yet to do that as of the time of filing this report.