I was drunk when I raped my wife's half-sister-Suspect

*He raped me twice, counters victim

A 36-year-old man, Imeh Akpan, who was arrested for   raping his wife’s 15-year-old half-sister, yesterday claimed he was drunk when he committed the crime.

The victim however countered that Akpan had raped her twice. Akpan, who is married to the victim’s sister, blamed the devil for his action.

He said that he went to a friend’s child naming ceremony, where he drank different kinds of alcohol. According to him, the alcohol influenced his action.

Akpan, who resides at Obalende area of Lagos State, said: “It’s not as if I raped her. I was drunk when I raped her. I returned from a party that fateful day. I didn’t know when I removed my clothes and raped her. There was nobody at home that night. Sincerely speaking, I was under the influence of alcohol. How could I have sex with a little girl like that? I’m married! I brought her up. Why would I rape somebody who had been living with me since she was just five-year-old? What happened to me was just the work of the devil.”

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, said the suspect had been sleeping with the little girl, since she was five until he was arrested.

The victim said her Akpan, whom she calls ‘uncle,’ had raped her twice.

She said: “The first time he raped me, I was about 14-year-old. The second time was last week Sunday when my aunt was not around.  After the first incident, I reported it to my aunt. When my aunt confronted him, he denied it. He even threatened to send me out of his house. It was my aunt who begged him to spare me. The matter was resolved.”

She continued: “My uncle didn’t stop the act. Whenever my aunt was not home, he would always want to do it again. This one happened after he returned from a party. He tore off my panties and pounced on me. I struggled, but he over powered me.”

The victim said after the incident that night, she ran out of the house, to a neigbhour’s apartment to beg for a phone. She wanted to call her mother, but the neighbour said she had no call card.

She said: “I ran to the juncture of our street, where I met a man. I explained everything to him. He offered to help me. He took me to hotel to pass the night. Whenever I closed my eyes and sleep, I would see my sister’s husband in my dream. I couldn’t close my eyes. When it was 3am, the man that promised to help me, almost raped me.”

She added: “It was my screams that alerted the management of the hotel. They came and rescued me from the man. Immediately, I left the hotel that night. I was walking on the street when I saw policemen who were on patrol. I narrated my ordeal to them. My aunt’s husband was later arrested.”