Victims of last Saturday’s robbery operation in Oko Ado, near Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, where schoolgirls returning to Lagos for Easter holiday from Enugu were raped yesterday recounted their ordeal.
Two of the victims, Susan and Lyn (not real names. We decided to leave out the real names of the victims because they are underage victims of reprehensible crime) who spoke separately to us in their homes in Lagos where they are still nursing their wounds said they went through hell.
Susan, who admitted that she was brutally raped said, “I have reported what happened to me to God and my mother, Mary. What happened to me could better be imagined than experienced.”
The 16-year- old Junior Secondary School Two (JSS 2) student who was still in shock said she did not have any premonition of any untoward incident. “I was to go to school and come back on holiday by flight but my friend, Lucy convinced me to join the bus and catch some fun. So, I convinced my parents to allow me join the bus.”
Susan, who admitted that she was brutally raped said, “I have reported what happened to me to God and my mother, Mary. What happened to me could better be imagined than experienced.”
The 16-year- old Junior Secondary School Two (JSS 2) student who was still in shock said she did not have any premonition of any untoward incident. “I was to go to school and come back on holiday by flight but my friend, Lucy convinced me to join the bus and catch some fun. So, I convinced my parents to allow me join the bus.”
She said the bus departed Enugu, after the students and a mother of one of them, who had visited Enugu for a business transaction, had offered prayers for a safe journey.
Susan, as the journey progressed, noticed that the bus was not in good condition and the driver was driving slowly. She said the elderly woman who was in the bus raised the alarm that the journey that should have lasted for about nine hours would stretch to over 15 hours.
She said the bus driver kept assuring them that the management was sending another bus to convey them to Lagos.
According to her, the new bus did not come. Contrary to the report published yesterday, Susan said, the bus broke down several times and eventually arrived Ore in Ondo State at night fall. “So, we all revolted that we would not proceed and started begging the driver to stop over at Ore so that we would pass the night there. But he kept on assuring us that our relatives were at their park in Jibowu, waiting for us.”
Susan, as the journey progressed, noticed that the bus was not in good condition and the driver was driving slowly. She said the elderly woman who was in the bus raised the alarm that the journey that should have lasted for about nine hours would stretch to over 15 hours.
She said the bus driver kept assuring them that the management was sending another bus to convey them to Lagos.
According to her, the new bus did not come. Contrary to the report published yesterday, Susan said, the bus broke down several times and eventually arrived Ore in Ondo State at night fall. “So, we all revolted that we would not proceed and started begging the driver to stop over at Ore so that we would pass the night there. But he kept on assuring us that our relatives were at their park in Jibowu, waiting for us.”
Susan said when the driver refused to stop, she soon after fell asleep. She was woken by cries of co-passengers only to discover that some armed men were ordering occupants of the vehicle to come out of the bus.
She said as they were coming out from the vehicle, the robbers were demanding for money and phones. “As we did not have enough money on us, and we did not have expensive phones and laptops, the robbers became infuriated.”
She said as they were coming out from the vehicle, the robbers were demanding for money and phones. “As we did not have enough money on us, and we did not have expensive phones and laptops, the robbers became infuriated.”
The schoolgirl heard one of the hoodlums believed to be their commander shouting, “they are all students. What is going to be our benefit? What is our gain for wasting our time laying ambush? We must rape all of them, whether they are kids or not, we should enjoy them.”
Continuing, Susan said they were initially lying face down beside the road before the robbers ordered them inside the bus again and one of the robbers drove the vehicle into a bush path.
She said when they were inside the bush, the robbers ordered everybody to pull their clothes.” When I saw the sophisticated weapons that they were carrying, I became afraid. But when I saw three robbers beating the lady that was with us , I passed out. I later started feeling pains in my private parts and I woke up again . I was repeatedly raped but I can’t tell how many people did it. Whether it was one man or many, I cannot tell. I was a virgin, and I had never slept with any man.”
Continuing, Susan said they were initially lying face down beside the road before the robbers ordered them inside the bus again and one of the robbers drove the vehicle into a bush path.
She said when they were inside the bush, the robbers ordered everybody to pull their clothes.” When I saw the sophisticated weapons that they were carrying, I became afraid. But when I saw three robbers beating the lady that was with us , I passed out. I later started feeling pains in my private parts and I woke up again . I was repeatedly raped but I can’t tell how many people did it. Whether it was one man or many, I cannot tell. I was a virgin, and I had never slept with any man.”
The girl who was being consoled by her parents and other relatives said even though she had been treated in the hospital the pains were still too hard to bear and the memory disgusted her so much that she prayed God to fish out the beasts.
The girl was led back into the room as she was overwhelmed by emotions and burst into tears, queried: “God why me?”
The girl was led back into the room as she was overwhelmed by emotions and burst into tears, queried: “God why me?”
The other student, Lyn and her parents were glorifying God for not allowing the robbers to rape her. Even though she is thanking God, Lyn revealed that she also wept for her friends who suffered the cruel fate.
According to Lyn, after saying the 15 decades of the Rosary (Catholic prayers) before the journey began, she on her own continued to say her personal prayers till night fall. “As I was saying the prayers, I hailed holy Mary and fell asleep and I did not know what happened again until I was woken up by the noise of some men who were armed with guns like the ones used by the police”.
She said ironically while she was sleeping, she had a very terrible dream and was being chased by some dwarfs who were armed with matchets.
According to Lyn, after saying the 15 decades of the Rosary (Catholic prayers) before the journey began, she on her own continued to say her personal prayers till night fall. “As I was saying the prayers, I hailed holy Mary and fell asleep and I did not know what happened again until I was woken up by the noise of some men who were armed with guns like the ones used by the police”.
She said ironically while she was sleeping, she had a very terrible dream and was being chased by some dwarfs who were armed with matchets.
According to her, it was while in the dream that she was woken up by the noise. “Immediately I woke up, I started seeing my period. I was shocked that my period was coming out when it was not yet time. I did not understand the mystery until the rapist robbers came to me.”
She said: “Already, I had made up my mind that I was going to be deflowered because I heard many of us shouting in pains that it was very painful. All of a suuden, one of the robbers came to me and ordered me to open up. When I obeyed his instruction, the man pointed his torch light on me and seeing the blood stains, he aked me to go to the other side”.
Continuing, he said it was as if God confused the hoodlums as they all thought she had been raped also.
Continuing, he said it was as if God confused the hoodlums as they all thought she had been raped also.
The girl who is thanking God for saving her virginity vowed to serve God and retain her flower till she is married.
She said her only anger was that while they were shouting for help, the robbers were telling them to stop wasting time as nobody including the police would come to their rescue. “We were robbed and dehumanised for over three hours without help from anywhere. Their leader wickedly said if we could not avoid being raped, we should enjoy it.
Another thing that would continue to hunt her was the memory of the trauma her colleagues faced. “My friends who I know were virgins were forcefully deflowered. I will continue to remember the shouts of pains from my friends who bled and were badly hurt.” (Daily Sun)
No comments:
Post a Comment