It was a sad day for a yet-to-be middle-aged woman who was allegedly raped by a motorcyclist identified as Laolu Omogunwa which resulted into the loss of her pregnancy in Ondo state.
The tragic incident occured inside a forest at Ago Akingboye village in the Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State.
WITHIN NIGERIA learnt that the suspect carried the 30-year-old pregnant woman as a passenger to another village to buy palm kernels but allegedly diverted the journey to a bush where he allegedly raped her.
Narrating how the tragic incident happened, the victim disclosed that Omogunwa tricked her to another route on the pretence that she would get the palm kernels cheaper at the place.
“He rode the okada through a lonely bush, then he suddenly stopped on the way and dragged me to the bush. I tried to struggle but he overpowered me and tried to strangle me. He dispossessed me of my phone and N150,000 before raping me. He raped me until I became unconscious,” she said.
The victim said after being unconscious, Omogunwa left her in the bush, thinking she was dead but luckily, she was revived by heavy rain that fell shortly after the deed.
She said when the family did not see her at the time she was expected back home, they organised a search party that found her where she was struggling to crawl to the road.
She said it took about 48 hours for her to regain consciousness and lost the pregnancy as a result of excessive bleeding.
It was further learnt that the matter had been reported at the police station while the whereabouts of the alleged rapist were still unknown.
Reacting to the incident, the monarch of Ajagba town, Oba Adesayo Ajibade who happens to be the traditional ruler of the area said the act was against the tradition of the community, noting that having sex with women on bare ground was a serious taboo in the area.
Oba Ajibade said the consequence of the desecration of the custom of the town was poor crop yield and famine unless the offenders appeased the gods of the land.
He added that the raped woman might not survive any sickness without the necessary rituals.
As at the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the spokesperson for the state police command, Mr Tee-Leo Ikoro, were unsuccessful as his mobile was not reachable.
