I
Ikenna Ngere
Guest
An Investigating Police Officer, Inspector Elizabeth Osikolu, provided chilling testimony on Monday before the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court.
She detailed how a Lagos housewife, Omolara Alashe, allegedly coerced a 19-year-old girl into an abusive relationship with her husband, Ramoni Lateef, in a desperate bid to have a child.
The couple, Alashe and Lateef, stand accused on charges of conspiracy, rape, and sexual assault.
Inspector Osikolu recounted that the alleged abuse began in 2022, soon after the young victim, who had recently lost her mother, was taken in by the couple at their residence in Ojota, Lagos.
The officer testified that what started as an offer of shelter quickly turned sinister, with Alashe allegedly pressuring the teenager into relations with her husband.
According to Osikolu, the victim also endured physical abuse, claiming the couple beat her whenever she made household errors.
Led by the lead state prosecutor, Babajide Boye, Inspector Osikolu elaborated on the severity of the alleged abuse, describing incidents where Omolara reportedly woke the teen in the night, stripped her, and allowed Lateef to assault her.
According to newsmen, a witness testified in court that Omolara, the first defendant, allegedly woke a 19-year-old girl in the middle of the night and stripped her, allowing the second defendant, Ramoni, to assault her.
Osikolu’s investigation revealed a possible motive, noting that the couple had lost a child in October 2022, after which Omolara allegedly struggled to conceive.
It is alleged that the couple planned to use the teen to bear children for Lateef to avoid him marrying another woman.
The witness said: “The first defendant has not been able to conceive again after the death of the child.
“So they decided to use the survivor to bear children for him to prevent the husband from getting married again.
“The girl said they were in the sitting room one day when the first defendant started beating her, stripped her naked and inserted her fingers in her vagina.
“After she beat the girl, she threw out her belongings, seized her ATM card, MTN line and the salary she was making at the time to deny her access to her money.”
During cross-examination, the defence counsel, Lekan Egberongbe, questioned the reliability of the victim’s account. However, Inspector Osikolu maintained that Omolara admitted to certain actions in her statement.
The officer noted that if the victim had been a willing participant, she would not have sought help from the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) or undergone a medical examination at the Mirabel Centre.
Justice Oshodi has adjourned the case until February 3, 2025, for further hearings.
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