See How 15 year old Girl Had Sex With Tricycle Rider For N200

Every day has turned a nightmarish for 15-year-

old Semisola Olona (not real names) who seems
not to get over the traumatic experience she
had when she was allegedly raped by a
commercial tricycle rider, known as Mr. Lati
Ajoje.
Olona, a senior secondary one student in a
Lagos school, said Ajoje was her mother’s
customer and she knew him before the incident.

Olona’s mother runs a canteen in Iyana Ipaja,
Lagos.

She told our correspondent recently that she
never believed Ajoje would rape her because he
was a frequent customer at her mother’s shop.

In tears, Olona, who claimed she was a virgin
before the incident, narrated how Ajoje took
advantage of her.

She said she was on her way to her mother’s
shop on January 15, 2016, when she met Ajoje
who offered to drop her off at the canteen.

“I didn’t suspect anything. I even thanked him
as I boarded his keke (tricycle). When we got to
the bus stop, he turned and faced another
route. I asked him if he wasn’t going to my
mum’s shop again. He didn’t answer me. I told
him to stop me at the bus stop but he refused.

“He then told me to be patient and said he
only wanted to go and collect something at
Water Estate. I insisted I wanted to drop off.
He didn’t listen to me, he ignored me. He got
to where he was going and he stopped at an
uncompleted building and told me to get down.
I asked him why, he said he wanted to tell me
something. I told him I didn’t like the place he
brought me and I was already feeling
uncomfortable. He just carried me forcibly and
entered the building. I was struggling. I even
had to bite him but he didn’t bulge. He carried
me into a room in the uncompleted building.

“He removed my clothes. I told him I would
rather he killed me than do anything to me.
But he said he wasn’t going to kill me but he
would still have s.ex with me. That was how he
forced himself on me and raped me,” she said.

Olona said Ajoje threatened to kill her if she
ever told anybody about the incident.

“After raping me, he used one rag to clean me
up. After he finished, he gave me N200. But I
told him I wasn’t going to take his money. I
was afraid to tell anybody because he had said
he would kill me. But eventually, I had to tell
my sister who told my mother. I have not seen
him again since then. He no longer comes to my
mother’s shop,” she said.

The President of Touch a Heart Foundation,
Lawrence Bassey, who is currently handling the
case, said the organisation felt obliged to take
over the case when Olona’s mother reported the
incident to it.

“The victim’s mother said her child was raped
and presented a police report. We have taken
her to the Mirabel S.exual Assault Referral
Centre. After some tests, one of the doctors
told the girl’s mother that she was actually
raped and she has been given some
treatment,” he said.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the case was also
reported at the Gowon Estate Police Division.

The investigating police officer in charge of the
case has said that the police are still looking
for a way to arrest the rape suspect.

But Bassey said the suspect has been seen on
the road operating his tricycle numerous times
without attempts by the police to arrest him.

“The police have just refused to do their job
and make the arrest. He is well known in the
area.

“Few days ago, the IPO told us he can’t go
around looking for a rapist. He said we should
go and look for the suspect ourselves. We have
started the investigation on our own since the
police said we should handle it ourselves.

The investigating police officer in charge of the
case has said that the police are still looking
for a way to arrest the rape suspect.
But Bassey said the suspect has been seen on
the road operating his tricycle numerous times
without attempts by the police to arrest him.
“The police have just refused to do their job
and make the arrest. He is well known in the
area.
“Few days ago, the IPO told us he can’t go
around looking for a rapist. He said we should
go and look for the suspect ourselves. We have
started the investigation on our own since the
police said we should handle it ourselves.

“The suspect has yet to be found. We met with
the chairman of the Keke operators in the area
where Ajoje operates and he promised to get
back to us. They took us to his mother, who also
said that Ajoje is on the run and nobody has
seen him. We have informed the National
Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in
Person, Office of the Public Defender and the
Public Advice Centre about this matter,” he
said.

When our correspondent contacted the
Divisional Police Officer of the station, Mr.
Festus Otabor, a chief superintendent of police,
he explained that the complainant had the
right to ask for him, if the IPO refused to act
on the case.

“On a case of such magnitude, they should have
made attempt to see me. I cannot hear of such
case and just let it go. I am happy that you
are informing me about the issue. They need to
come back and talk to me. It is a serious
issue,” he said.