Three employees of the University of Lagos on Monday told an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court how an alleged rapist, John Otema, attacked students on campus.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Otema, a Unilag alumnus, is facing three counts of rape and assault occasioning harm before the court.
He, however, denied committing the offences which contravene Sections 173 and 260(1)(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The Unilag employees who testified during Monday’s proceedings include Mr. Ayodeji Ajayi, a member of the Crime Section, Unilag Security Unit, who is also the Investigating Security Officer in the case.
The others are Dr. Adedoyin Solola from the University of Lagos Medical School; and Dr. Aishat Bello of the Unilag Medical Centre.
Ajayi, who gave evidence-in-chief on December 11, 2018, was cross-examined by Mr. Fred Onyeka, Otema’s defence counsel, during Monday’s proceedings.
NAN reports that Ajayi, while being led in evidence on December 11, 2018 by the state Prosecutor, Mrs. K. A. Momoh-Ayokambi, narrated how the first complainant (name withheld) told him how she was allegedly raped by the accused.
“On Wednesday January 17, 2018, while coming from her hostel to Moremi Hall, an unknown man parked his car and asked for directions to Moremi Hall; he compelled her to enter the car.
“The unknown man drove her to the Distant Learning Institute area where he assaulted her by punching her face several times; he bit her back and ordered her to remove her clothes.
“He took her nude photos and had carnal knowledge of her twice without a condom. The defendant deflowered her that day, he asked her to bring a handkerchief which she used to clean her private part.
“He collected the handkerchief, took her pant and bra and took her to a dumpsite. He ordered her to leave his car and told her to count from one to 50 and he drove off,” he quoted the student as narrating.
Ajayi also testified on December 11, 2018 that another student (name withheld) had, on February 1, 2018, lodged a complaint at the Unilag Security Post that the accused raped her twice at 11.30p.m. on January 31, 2018 in his apartment at Bariga, Lagos.
He said that the accused was apprehended when the second student saw him outside New Hall (a hostel in Unilag) and alerted the university Security Section.
While being cross-examined on Monday by Onyeka, Ajayi denied assaulting Otema when he was apprehended by the security team of the university.
“I never poured water on the defendant; I did not tell the defendant to kneel before his car. I did not run a scan of the car’s plate number to determine whether it belonged to the defendant, as we do not have such gadget in our security unit.
“The last time I saw that car was when I went to the Adeniji Adele Police Station,” Ajayi said.
The witness told the court that though Unilag Security did not have jurisdiction outside the campus, the security team would be involved investigating cases of students’ assault.
In her evidence, Solola, who has been a staff of the Unilag Medical School for 12 years, explained her findings when she medically examined the first student.
“On examination, she had a swollen face, black eyes, and scratches on her neck and a visible bite mark on her upper back. She also had bruises on her arms.
“I asked her if she would do a vaginal exam and she consented. She had a small laceration on the posterior aspect of the vagina; there was remnant of hymen seen and some clotted blood but she was not bleeding as at that time.
“We sent her for post-exposure propolatis and post-coital exposure and we also gave her an anti-tetanus injection, and the scratches and bite mark were healed,” she said.
Momoh-Ayokambi, the Prosecutor, sought to tender a Certified True Copy of the medical report but Onyeka objected on the grounds that it was not served on him as part of the proof of evidence.
Justice Sururat Soladoye upheld the rejection of the report on the grounds that it was not served on the defence counsel.
While being cross-examined by Onyeka, Solola said she had no physical contact with the accused while she conducted her investigation.
“During the examination, I only asked the victim about the identity of who perpetuated the act, and she said it was someone who was in a car, who had asked for directions,” Solola said.
Testifying, Dr. Bello, a staff of the Unilag Medical Centre, narrated her findings when she examined the second victim.
“A young lady came in at 2.30p.m. on February 1, 2018. She complained that she was sexually assaulted; she said she visited a male friend (the defendant) and was sexually assaulted.
“On examination, I saw a sad looking lady, areas of redness around both eyes and there was a bruise at the left part of her neck. On examination of the vagina, there was tenderness around the vulva. There was a cut around the opening of the vagina and a whitish discharge from the vagina.
“An assessment of sexual assault was made based on the examination, and we further sent the patient for some investigation such as HIV, Hepatitis B and a pregnancy test which came out negative.
“There was a documentation done in the hospital in her case file; a report was made to the security unit at Unilag,” she said.
While being cross-examined by Onyeka, Bello also said she had no contact with the accused during her investigation.
The judge adjourned the case until February 18, for continuation of trial.
(NAN)
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