A man, Japhet Akawe, has narrated before an Ogun State High Court how a suspected armed robber, identified as Moses, allegedly raped his wife on a farm in Sagamu.
According to the PUNCH, Akawe, testifying before Justice O. S. Oloyede on Wednesday, said the defendant also stole his wife’s mobile phone and a motorcycle belonging to his brother.
According to him, the incident occurred on March 18, 2023, while he was away from home.
His wife, sister, and brother had gone to their farm to harvest cassava when Moses allegedly attacked them at gunpoint.
He told the court that his wife called him through his sister’s phone and informed him that the suspect had snatched her phone, dragged her into the bush, raped her, took her naked pictures, and rubbed a peppery substance on her face.
“I called my friend to take her to a clinic for treatment. When I tried calling my wife’s phone, the defendant picked up and taunted me, saying I should be grateful he hadn’t kidnapped her. Later, he called again from another number, warning me not to contact my wife or that number again, or he would come for my family,” Akawe recounted.
Following the attack, Akawe said his brother was taken to court by the owner of the stolen motorcycle, who insisted on being compensated.
“On March 20, 2023, the owner of the motorcycle had my brother arrested and taken to court. He was granted bail, but I wasn’t around to assist, so he was taken to prison. When I returned, I negotiated with the motorcycle owner and paid for it, which led to the case being struck out,” he added.
Akawe reported the incident to the Sagamu Police Station and provided them with the phone number used by the suspect to threaten him.
“Three months after reporting to the police, they tracked the number, which led to the defendant’s arrest,” he said.
During cross-examination, the defense counsel, D. O. Efuwape, asked how Akawe identified the defendant. He responded that he recognized him through the phone calls he received.
After hearing the testimony, Justice Oloyede adjourned the case to May 20, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
