A graduate of the University of Lagos, Imonitie Ilen-Otuma, has been arrested by the police for allegedly raping a 27-year-old woman in the Lekki area of Lagos. PUNCH Metro learnt that Imonitie, who studied Estate Management, had earlier been arrested in May for raping a colleague, and had been freed when the victim’s family agreed to withdraw the case.
Our correspondent gathered that in the second incident, which occurred on Friday, July 10, the suspect allegedly took his victim, Precious (pseudonym), to a party in the Lekki area where he allegedly brutalised and raped her.
It was gathered that Precious, on that day, had told her parents that she was going to see Imonitie, who was reportedly having a party.
The duo were said to have gone to see a movie at the Adeniran Ogunsanya Mall, in the Surulere area. It was learnt that they later went to a party in the Lekki area, where Precious insisted on going home when it was around 12am, but the suspect allegedly refused.
Our correspondent gathered that instead, Imonitie allegedly lured the lady to the backseat of his car where he squeezed her throat and raped her. The victim was said to have alerted her family to the incident, and the police from the Maroko division arrested the suspect.
Speaking with PUNCH Metro, the victim’s mother said the suspect allegedly threatened to strangle her daughter and dump her corpse by the roadside, despite her pleas to him that she was a virgin. She added that Precious was still udergoing treatment in a hospital in the area due to the severity of the injuries she sustained.
She said, “My daughter is a sickle cell sufferer. She met Imonitie in the university. He was a year ahead of her. They started dating, but my daughter warned him that there would be no sex until they got married. Later, she learnt that the man had dated one of her friends, which Imonitie confirmed. So, since that time, they ended the relationship.
“The week that the incident happened, she said both of them met again on BBM, and he started persuading her to let them go out again. On that Friday, he called her and said he was taking her to see a movie.
“After the movie, they went clubbing in the Lekki area, where he raped her. She told us that she was not feeling strong. She said she remembered being walked out of the club to the back of Imonitie’s car.
“But when she opened her eyes, it was daytime, and he was on top of her at the back of the car. That was when the struggle started. He beat her up, squeezed her neck, while she begged him that she was a virgin, and he should not rape her. But he ignored her pleas and after the act, he gave her some tissues to clean the blood.”
Our correspondent gathered that while Precious was being taken home, she sent a text message home that her parents should get the police because she had been brutalised and raped.
It was learnt that the police at Maroko thereafter arrested the suspect after he was beaten up by some youths on the victim’s street. Imonitie’s mother, who spoke with PUNCH Metro on the telephone, said her son loved the lady and wanted to marry her. She added that he did not mean to brutalise or kill her as claimed.
She said, “My son has told me that he loves the girl and wants to marry her. He is AA, and the girl is SS. So, they are compatible. He did not mean to kill her as claimed. If he wanted to, would he still drive her home after the incident? I am not justifying his actions, but he was tempted to commit the act. His intention is to marry the girl.”
Our correspondent learnt that the matter was also reported to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team. It was gathered that the state Department of Public Prosecutions had also requested for the case file from the police.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident.
He said the matter had been transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba. Nwosu added, “The suspect is with us, and the matter is being investigated at the SDCI, Yaba.”
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