By Rotimi Ojomoyela
Ado-Ekiti
A rape suspect, Tope Adeniyi, has been declared wanted by Ekiti state police command for the allegedly raping his wife’s salesgirl in Ijero-Ekiti.
The victim, 17-year-old (name withheld), according to reports, had spent few years as an apprentice under the wife of the suspect, but decided to stay and continue to assist her in the shop as a salesgirl in a medicine store.
Public Relations Officer of Ekiti state Police Command, Alberto Adeyemi, confirmed this to our correspondent yesterday in Ado-Ekiti.
Tope, a father of six children, disappeared after learning that the police were after him for the offence he allegedly committed.
The suspect was said to have told his wife’s salesgirl to serve him a sachet of water in his room at a house located at Agbangudu in Ijero-Ekiti on November 20, this year.
He was said to have grabbed the victim after serving him the water and had carnal knowledge of her.
The suspect, who was described as a “jobless man,” lives in an apartment close to his wife’s shop, and was said to have had six children from three different women.
It was gathered that when the incident happened, the wife was away in Lagos.
The victim narrated her ordeal thus: “It was a Monday afternoon; I was in the shop when he (Tope) called me to bring in pure water to his room. He has been alone throughout the weekend. I never knew he had such plan in mind.
“After giving him the sachet water, I was about to go out when he suddenly grabbed me; I tried to resist, but he was more powerful than I am. He pushed me to bed and took a pillow to cover my mouth. I tried to shout so that other tenants around could come to my aid, but nobody heard my voice.”
She said the victim forcefully had his way and ended up defiling her.
Blueprint learnt that the information got to the family of the victim, they followed her immediately to the house of the suspect, but he was nowhere to be found.
An elder brother to the victim, Mr. Ropo Ojo, said the victim was taken to the state government hospital in Ijero-Ekiti where she was treated.
He called on the police to ensure the arrest of the suspect and make him face prosecution for the act.
As at the time of filing in this report, the whereabouts of the suspect was still unknown, but the police were intensifying efforts to get him.
