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| Admission seekers in front of Unilag Main gate |
The police in Lagos State have arrested a part-time lecturer,
Afeez Baruwa, for allegedly raping an 18-year-old girl, identified as Caroline
(pseudonym) in the Yaba area. It was gathered that
Baruwa was arrested by the Surulere Police Division on Monday, August 3. The victim, who was reportedly raped inside a study room, was seeking
admission into the University of Lagos, Akoka. The lecturer told the police in his statement that the sexual
intercourse was by mutual consent, insisting that he did not rape the victim.
PUNCH
Metro learnt
that the lecturer and Caroline’s father belonged to the same landlords’ association
in the Abesan, Ipaja area.
It was gathered that the
victim’s father had allowed her daughter to follow the lecturer on July 23, to
UNILAG for an admission process.
It was learnt that Baruwa
allegedly took the girl inside one of the study halls, bolted the door, and
raped her.
It was learnt that after
the incident, Caroline, who told her parents about the rape, was taken to a
non-governmental organization, Mirabel Centre, where she was tested.
The medical result
reportedly confirmed that the teenager was violated.
Our correspondent
gathered that Caroline was thereafter taken to the Lagos State Office of the
Public Defender, and the matter was also reported at the police station. Baruwa
was subsequently arrested.
A police source in Surulere
said, “The suspect is actually a friend of the father of the girl. The girl had
written the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, and she needed
assistance with the post-UTME.
“So, the father sent her
to meet and discuss with the lecturer.
“But, it turned out that
on July 23 when the girl visited the suspect, he raped the girl in the study
room.
“The suspect confessed to
the act, but his claim is that the sex was by mutual consent.”
The Director of the
Office of the Public Defender, Mrs. Omotola Rotimi, said the OPD would write a
letter to the UNILAG Vice-Chancellor on the incident, so as to ensure that such
did not reoccur.
She said, “The victim’s
father wanted the lecturer to assist with his daughter’s admission. On the
fateful day, the girl left with the lecturer as early as 5.30am, and they got
to the school at about 7am.
“No one had arrived at
the hall except a woman. While the exams had yet to start, he raped her. She
went home, and the father found out that her daughter had been raped. He took
her to the Mirabel Centre, which then informed the OPD.
“The centre also
contacted the police at the Surulere and Isokoko divisions, and the suspect was
arrested.
“We are going to defend
the girl, and we are writing the VC. The suspect is said to be in the
Department of Accounting. He claimed the sex was consensual, but that is not a
defence.”
Our correspondent
gathered that Baruwa, who was in custody, would be charged to court on Thursday
(today).
The Lagos State Police
Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin, confirmed the arrest.
She said, “The suspect
claims to be a part-time lecturer, but not an employee of the University of
Lagos.
“He has confessed to the
crime and the medical result proved same.”
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