BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
An internally displaced widow (name withheld) from the crisis ravaged Effium community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, who has been taking refuge at a hut being used as “IDP camp” for her at Ezza North LGA has been robbed and raped by an invader.
Narrating her plight, the 40 year-old mother of six noted that one man, Chikaodlii Igboji, invaded the hut where she was seeking refuge, snatched her money, mobile phone and raped her on October 5, 2023.
According to the widow, the suspect escaped after forcing himself on her. She added that Igboji, aged 29, revisited the area to rape her again but luck ran out on him as he was apprehended, flogged by the villagers and dragged to a police station.
She stated, “While I was sleeping with my little children at night on 5th October, 2023, a man later identified as Chikaodili Igboji, invaded the hut, armed with dagger, held me and threatened to kill me.
“According to him, he was hired to kill me. I pleaded with him to spare my life for the sake of my children who are already fatherless. Being displaced from our home sequel to the crisis in Effium community of Ohaukwu Local Government Area in Ebonyi State, my grown up children went to stay with our other relatives at Onueke Ezza South LGA because the hut given to me as IDP camp could not accommodate all of us and there is nofood here. He took my phone from me and the only savings of N20,000 I had then.
“After that, he said he wanted to have sex with me. I pleaded with him to go with the phone and money and forget about having sexual intercourse with me because for about six years now that my husband died, I have not had sex with anyone because of my fear of sexually transmitted diseases. Before I could even finish the sentence, he had torn all my clothes and without my consent, satisfied his sexual need.
“When he was done, he threatened to kill and dismember me as was done to somebody in that community some months ago if I disclosed what transpired that night.
“Because of fear, I could not reveal it to anyone, rather, I stopped sleeping in my hut at night. I went to pass the night with our neighbour for fear of reoccurrence. My neighbour noticed my unusual behaviour but I couldn’t let them know what happened because of the threat.”
“So, one week after that incident, he came again but couldn’t see me in my hut and he traced me to the room I was sleeping in my neighbour’s compound. This time, he couldn’t have his way because of neighbours’ intervention when my children and I noticed his presence and raised the alarm. He was apprehended by the neighbours and flogged at the village square by the vigilante. The villagers advised his family to assist him to refund me the money he stole but they said we should hold him responsible for his actions, that they were tired of him and the shame he brings to them; that was when we decided that he had to face the law,” the victim added.
The Police, after investigation, arraigned the suspect on November 21, 2023 before a Magistrate’s Court for rape.
The charge read, “That you Chikaodlii Joseph Igboji, aged 29 years, on the 5th day of October 2023 at Izzo Imeoha community in Ezza North Local Government Area in the Abakaliki Magisterial District, did rape (name withheld) aged 40years, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code Cap 33 Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”
However, the trial Magistrate, Chinedu Agama, for lack of competent jurisdiction to hear such matter, ordered the remand of the defendant in Abakaliki Correctional facility.
Agama ordered the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Stanley Ngene, to forward the case file to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.
