How Landlord Raped My Daughter, 9

The mother of a rape victim, Mrs. Florence Olaeye, has told the Lagos court how a landlord, Yisa Jimoh, 45, allegedly raped her 9-year old daughter and used her nails for ritual.

“After raping her, he gave her five naira to buy biscuit and warned her not to tell anyone otherwise she will die,” Mrs. Olaeye told the court.

The embittered mother told the court presided over by Mrs. M.B. Folami at Ejigbo magistrate’s court while testifying before the court, that Jimoh forcefully penetrated her daughter and thereafter used a white cloth to clean her private part, cut both her foot and finger’ nails and took them away

She alleged that Jimoh used the parts he removed from the victim’s body for ritual because after the act she became sick and was admitted for several weeks where she later told her mom what happened.

She said the victim refused to disclose what happened to her because of Jimoh’s warning that she will die if she tells anyone.

She said the little girl continued to bear the burden of pain alone, because she sustained serious injuries in her private part as a result of the assault, but refused to reveal it so that she will be alive because of the warning.

Narrating further, Olaeye explained that Jimoh was her neighbour at Ayobo area in Alimosho local government Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, saying that she did not suspect any foul play whenever Jimoh sends her on an errand, not knowing that it was a ploy he used to rape her.

She told the court that since the victim was raped, she has been sick and was taken to Ikeja General Hospital where the doctors carried out some tests and confirmed that she was actually raped.

She added that since she reported the matter to the police the defendant has been threatening her family and asking them to withdraw the charge.

— Cyriacus Izuekwe