‘Guard abducted my daughter, raped her for three days’

A 39-year-old trader, Sunday Akata, has told an Ikeja High Court of how a security guard, Santana Obend, 45, abducted and defiled his 14 years old daughter.

Akata said that his daughter was defiled by Obend after he abducted and locked her up in his apartment for three days.

Akata said:  “I sent my daughter to a nearby store to buy some food items around 4pm on that fateful day. I waited until midnight for her, but she didn’t return. I was so restless that I decided to alert our neighbors, but no one seemed to know where she had gone to. I decided to call the community chief and informed him of my missing daughter. I reported the matter at Isheri Police Station on the third day after my wife said she saw our daughter in Obend’s room.”

Obend was arrested and taken to the station to make statement. The police gave Akata a letter and further advised that he should take his daughter to Mirabel Center for medical checkup.

The hospital ran some tests on the victim and confirmed that she was alright and not infected with any disease.

Obend is standing trial on a one count charge of defilement of a child contrary to section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

While being led in evidence by the prosecution, A.A George, Akata said that the incident happened on August 7, 2015, at Isheri, Lagos.

A woman sergeant, Bhadmus Folanike, who also gave evidence in the matter, said that she obtained the statements of the complainant, his daughter and the suspect.

According to Folanike, the victim told her that Obend met her atlong the corridor on her way home from the store, where she went to buy some food items and beckoned to her. He urged her to come into his room, to drink sachet water, but she refused.

Folanike said: “The little girl told me that Obend kept insisting that she should come into his room and when she strongly declined, he immediately placed his hands on her shoulders and she unconsciously followed him.

“After she drank the water, she found herself naked in the defendant’s room. When I asked if the man slept with her, she said yes. She also told me that the man also instructed her to lock the door whenever he goes out to check the gate. When I interviewed the suspect, he confessed that he slept with the child just once on the first day. He said he was afraid of letting her go out of his room over fear that her parents would attack him. After he confessed committing the crime, I handed him over to our sectional leader.”

Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, thereafter, adjourned the matter till May 17, 2017 for continuation of trial.