21st March, 2012
An ex-corps member, who alleged that an Osun monarch raped her, said on Tuesday that she did not receive any gift or bargained to collect N50,000 from the monarch.
When cross-examined by the Defence Counsel, Mr. Taofeek Tewogbade, the ex-corps member said that the monarch, Oba Adebukola Alli, threw a bundle of N200 notes at her.
“But l refused to take the money, l did not even know the actual amount, all l knew was that it was a bundle of N200 notes, but he forced himself in, in spite of my refusal,” she said
Earlier, Tewogbade had put it to the girl that there wouldn’t have been any scandal if the monarch had given her N50,000, a suggestion she rejected.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that an argument ensued when the defence counsel requested the rape victim to remove her pant in the chambers of the judge.
Tewogbade said that his request was to enable him and other counsel see the bruises she sustained on her private part as a result of the alleged rape.
The state prosecuting counsel, Mr. Biodun Badeora, objected to the request and prayed the court to call the defence counsel to order, adding that the request was intended to insult the rape victim.
Badeora said that the medical doctor, who examined the victim gave evidence before the court, and wondered why the defence counsel wanted to examine the victim by himself.
The prosecuting counsel said: “She cannot exhibit nudity in court.”
The request of the defence counsel was overruled by the Judge, Justice Jide Falola, who said that there was no reason for such an examination.
The rape victim, however, agreed that prior to the date of the incident, the monarch visited her in the hospital when she was sick, but denied that the monarch paid her hospital bill or bought her a telephone handset.
Falola adjourned the case to May 2, for defence.