A 22-year-old woman, Emmanuela Zaccheus, yesterday told an Ikeja High Court how two brothers, Bright and Chijindu Nwachukwu, raped and defrauded her of N19,000.
Bright (31) and Chijindu (23) are being tried by Justice Josephine Oyefeso for alleged rape and obtaining money by false pretence.
The offence, according to the prosecutor, Mrs C.K Tunji- Carrena, is contrary to Sections 135 , 137 and 312 (3) of the Criminal law of Lagos State, 2011.
Led in evidence by the prosecutor, the victim, a Biology graduate and an entrepreneur, said she met Bright for the first time on February 12 at Iyana Ipaja, on her way to the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka.
She maintained that she had never met him prior to that day.
The witness said the defendant spoke to her in French and asked her where Diamond warehouse is. She said she did not know where it is.
She said there was a man with Bright who asked her to describe the place to him if she knew there.
The witness said after she left the men she realised that she could not meet up with her appointment and decided to return home.
According to the witness, she saw Bright and the other man again on her way home and he asked the same question. She said she maintained that she did not know the place.
“I wanted to be on my way but the other man that was with him pleaded with me to help him. At this point, Bright handed him some foreign currencies. He held my hand and said that we should follow him.
“At that moment, I didn’t know what I was doing again, I just followed them and we crossed to the other side of the road at Iyana-Ipaja and boarded a bus towards Sango. I paid the transport fare for the three of us and we later alighted at a bus-stop which I didn’t know the name.
“We took a tricycle to another place where we met the second defendant Chijindu who disguised as a store-keeper. We entered the place and they brought out something that looks like a photo-film and washed it in a liquid and it turned into a N1000 note.
“ He folded the money and asked me to take a bite and take an oath that if I tell anyone about what is taking place, I would die,” she said.
Chijindu, the witness said, told her to bring some money so that they could print more money but she did not have cash on her.
“He collected my Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card, pin number and headed to the bank. While they (second defendant and storekeeper) were away, the first defendant asked me if I eat fish and I replied in the affirmative. He again reminded me that I would die as a result of the oath I had with him earlier if I tell anybody about what happened.
“I became so scared and I started crying and I pleaded with him that I don’t want to die. Bright then told me that the only option to avoid death is to have sex with me. I started begging him again not to have sex with me but he eventually had his way.
“When Chijindu came from where he had gone to withdrew the N19,000 that I had in my bank account, he ordered me to delete the alert message sent by my bank. He also came back with another man who claimed to be a pastor. He brought in a bucket of water and after looking through it, he said my mother has some money in her drawer and I should go home and bring the whole money. He instructed me not to talk to anyone until I accomplished the mission”, Zaccheus.
The witness said she caught a glimpse of a sign post “Toluwalase” and memorised it.
She said when she got home, she met her mother and her brother who later told her that she was acting strange and restless.
“My mother later came to me and held me, seeking to know what happened to me and I told her I don’t want to die. She was shocked and we were both crying. My mother told me that God is the owner of my life and I came back to my senses and told her all that happened.”
According to the witness, her mother called her pastor and she was taken to the family hospital because of the sexual assault. The witness said she was referred to St Leo hospital in Ikeja.
Zaccheus said the matter was reported at Area G Police Station in Ogba from where she was referred to Mirabel Centre at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for check- up and counselling.
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mr. Ikenna Okoli, the witness insisted that she gave her ATM to the second defendant and money was withdrawn from her account.
She also insisted that the first defendant had sex with her without her consent.
The matter was thereafter adjourned till October 10, 2017 for continuation of trial.
