Five students from Ejioku Community Grammar School in Oyo State have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the gang r*pe of female classmates.
Reports indicate that the suspects ambushed female students from a neighboring school, forcibly dragging them into a nearby bush to commit the assault. The arrests were made by the Amotekun Corps, Oyo State Command, following a tip-off regarding the incident, as confirmed by the corps’ second-in-command, Kazeem Babalola Akinro.
Investigation into the incident revealed that such assaults reportedly occur frequently among male students in the area. One victim, a 14-year-old girl, suffered significant trauma, including the loss of her hymen during the attack after initial attempts by others to assault her were unsuccessful.
The accused students have been identified as Mayowa, 17; Joshua, 16; Seun, 17; Sunday, 16; and Basit, 17 (surnames withheld). Seun and Sunday are known to share the same mother but have different fathers.
A concerned parent reported to the Nigerian Tribune that the prevalence of these acts had drawn warnings from the school’s principal, which were also discussed at Parent-Teacher Association meetings. Parents were urged to caution their sons against such behavior.
It has been alleged that one of the suspects used his motorcycle to pursue the girls into the bush beside their school’s field, where he and his accomplices were lying in wait. Although four girls were involved in the latest incident, three families reportedly chose not to pursue the matter.
Legal advocate Barrister Modupe Aderemi is now involved, having spoken with one of the traumatized victims who shared her harrowing experience. Disturbingly, it was reported that the girl’s relatives attempted to remove her from the area to mitigate the fallout from the incident.
The incident escalated further with reports that one suspect recorded a video on his phone during the assault, showing one of the girls pleading for mercy while being restrained. In the footage, she expresses her fear and resistance, but the suspects continued their assault, with one even using force to break her hymen.
After the incident, the girl’s family reportedly chose not to pursue legal action, attributing the blame to the girl’s mother and those who reported the crime to the authorities.
Interviews with the suspects reveal unsettling details of their actions. Mayowa, while unable to communicate effectively in English, explained that they misled the girls into believing they were going to a safe area to play.
Joshua recounted that he had initially hesitated to participate but was pressured by his peers. Seun described selecting a girl for an encounter, and Basit noted his prior consensual relations with another girl.
Notably, Sunday, despite being in his first year of secondary school, claimed to have fathered a child recently, indicating a troubling pattern of behavior among the group.
The Modupe Owonikoko Foundation has taken up the advocacy for justice in this case, ensuring that the suspects are held accountable for their actions. The investigation has now been handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for further inquiry.
