11th January, 2022
By Moji Eniola
A Nigerian teenager who was defiled at 13 has threatened to commit suicide after her abuser appeared to have escaped punishment.
Mother of the teenager, now 19 and a student of one of the tertiary school, made the disclosure at an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court.
The mother who described herself as a businesswoman made the revelation on Tuesday during the trial of a 44-year-old family friend, Confidence Samuel.
Samuel, is charged with sexual assault by penetration, attempt to commit defilement, threat to life and threat to kill.
Led in evidence by the state prosecutor, Miss Bukola Okeowo, the mother told the court that their family friend defiled her daughter in the family home in 2015 Lagos when her and her husband had travelled.
She was 13 years when she was allegedly defiled.
The mother noted that when she was informed by her brother about the alleged defilement, she took the first flight to the family home in Lagos.
She said her daughter was taken to the hospital for medical examination and a gynecologist confirmed that penetration had taken place.
“During that period my daughter cried and pleaded for help. After a while I calmed down,” she said.
The mother said due to the pleas, the family did not follow up on the case but noticed that whenever the defendant visits the family home she becomes angry and Samuel was warned not to visit their home again.
“A few years later my daughter got admitted into a higher institution. One of her school friends called me to tell me that my daughter is threatening suicide.
“She told her friends that one day she will walk into the lagoon and not be seen again.
“When my daughter came home from school, she told me that she cannot have me and a father who cannot fight for her after Samuel defiled her. She said that one day I will wake up and not see her again.
“I told her this happened since 2015 why do you want to commit suicide in 2018? I decided then that instead of me to lose my daughter, I will revive the case.
“I wrote a petition to the police and Confidence was invited to give a statement. When I told my daughter that he has been charged to court she was very happy,” she said.
The mother noted that as a result of the trauma, her daughter had become very bitter and had to receive counselling at the Mirabel Centre (a sexual assault referral centre).
Justice Rahman Oshodi adjourned the case till Jan. 12 for continuation of trial.