Social Media ‘Female’ Friend, Two Others Gang Rape Model

Alleged rapists paraded

Model (name withheld) has been gang-raped by three men, including her ‘female’ friend who she met on a social media last month.

The Nation report continues:

The incident occurred 10 days ago in the Agege area of Lagos when the model was tricked to come for a formal introduction with the parents of her ‘female’ friend who goes by the name – Vanessa, with the profile name of VeeVee Love on the social media, before she can seal a modelling agreement for a cloth line.

The alleged rapists, who are in police custody at Isokoko Police Station include Akubu Ezechukwu, Godwin Balogun and Ugochukwu Eso.

The model told members of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) last week that she met Vanessa, who, she thought was a female, on Instagram and that they started chatting and afterwards, exchanged addresses.

She said Vanessa claimed to be a graduate of Coventry University in United Kingdom and that she intended to start a cloth line in Nigeria and would like her to be modelling for her.

According to her, the woman, who unknown to her is a man, calls her frequently to discuss business and personal issues, using Magic Voice application, which made him to sound like a woman.

Hence when her ‘female’ friend invited her to meet her parents before they could seal the business deal, she did not hesitate but agreed to honour the invitation based on the friendship they had established over time.

On the fateful day, the victim said she took a taxi from Oshodi to the address given to her by Vanessa in Agege. On getting to her destination, she was ushered into the building by the gateman who was sent to bring her in.

Though she suspected the building was not residential immediately she entered the premises, she still followed the gateman inside because she had no reason to doubt her new found friend.

On climbing the stairs to the upper floor, she was met by three men who pushed her into a room and increased the volume of the television to the highest level so that no one could hear her.

The victim said at this stage she realized that she had been deceived and that she had been chatting with a man and not a woman.

She said her captors beat her and took turns to rape her throughout the period she was held captive in the building between noon and 7pm.

She said her captors asked her to provide ₦2 million before she could be released.

She said she called some friends who helped to raise ₦50,000 which was later withdrawn from her account along with her balance with her Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card by her captors.

On regaining freedom, she said she went to Area ‘F’ Police Command, Ikeja where the matter was first reported but got no help.

From there, she went to Mirabel Centre at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja for medical examination and treatment and from where her matter was referred to DSVRT, which immediately intervened and referred her to Family Support Unit of Isokoko Police Station where she made a written statement on her ordeal to the police.

On Monday, the efforts of the police paid off as the perpetrators were traced to an hotel in Agege area where they usually hanged out and were subsequently arrested and detained

On Tuesday, the police carried u an identification parade and the victim identified the three men from the five persons who were caught in a room with another victim.

During investigation, the suspects allegedly confessed to the crime and disclosed that they had no female member in their gang but used a magic voice application to deceive their victim.

DSVRT Coordinator Mrs Lola Vivour-Adeniyi said the suspects would soon appear in court on conclusion of police investigation.

Five Gang-Rape Customer, Demand ₦2 Million

PUNCH Metro  reports that five suspects, who posed as businessmen, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly abducting and gang-raping a woman.

The suspects – Ugochukwu Eso, Gabriel Obinna, Chinedu Ezechukwu, Akubueze Nnadozie and Godwin Balogun – used a hotel, which the police did not disclose, in the Agege area of the state to perpetrate the crime.

Our correspondent gathered that 18-year-old Obinna allegedly used a Magic Voice application on his mobile phone to change his voice to that of a woman while communicating with the victim on the telephone.

Using a pseudonym, Vanessa, he allegedly invited her to inspect some non-existent goods in his house.

A police source said the gang’s mode of operation was to lure female customers into their midst, gang-rape them and threaten to blackmail the women with video recordings of the rape unless some money was paid to them.

In the latest incident on Tuesday, August 2, the gang members allegedly lured their female victim through telephone calls to their apartment, which was a hotel, before gang-raping her.

The suspects reportedly demanded ₦2m to release her, but she later parted with ₦50,000.

Our correspondent gathered that the victim reported the matter at the Isokoko Police Division and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, Alausa, after leaving the hotel.

The suspects were, thereafter, trailed to the hotel and arrested.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro while being paraded at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters, Ikeja, on Wednesday, Eso said his gang collected ₦20,000 from the lady and she willingly had sex with him and Obinna.

He said, “The lady came into the hotel to meet another woman. When she saw us, she became nervous. We calmed her down and told her we were just looking for money to eat and she should give us whatever she had.

“She gave us ₦20,000 and we began to talk freely in the room. She used some drugs and willingly had sexual affair with me and Gabriel (Obinna). After the sex, we accompanied her to the taxi and we parted amicably. It was not a rape.”

Obinna said, “The lady and I had been discussing on the phone; we were friends. I have a Magic Voice application on my phone which I used to discuss with her. We did not rape her. She did not make any noise during the sex; she was just smiling. We were the ones who put her on a bus. Only two of us slept with her.”

The DSVRT Coordinator, Lola-Vivour Adeniyi, said, “One of the suspects, named Vanessa, chatted with the victim on Instagram. She claimed that she was a graduate and she sold clothes. According to the victim, the fake businesswoman called her from time to time to discuss business with her.

“On the day of the incident, the victim came from Oshodi to the address Vanessa gave her in Agege. As she climbed into the house, reportedly owned by Vanessa, three men pushed her into a room and increased the volume of the television so that no one would hear her voice.

“After the rape, the suspects said she should provide ₦2m before she would be released. She called some friends and was able to raise ₦50,000, which they withdrew from her bank account using the ATM. She was held hostage from 12pm to 7pm.

“The DSVRT has directed her to the Mirabel Centre, Ikeja, for a checkup. We worked with the police to ensure the arrest of the suspects and the victim has identified three of them.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the gang, said the police would charge them to court at the end of investigation.