Ogun NSCDC arrests eight teenagers for gang-raping 14-year-old girl

The Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested eight teenagers for alleged gang rape of a 14-year-old girl in the Ijebu-Mushin, Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state. 

The command’s public Relations Officer, Dyke Ogbonnaya, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, November 21, 2024, identified the suspects as, Matthew Omotayo, age 17 Mojeeb Solomon, 16 years; Olamilekan Adefuye, 18 years; Damilola Ismail, 19 years; Emmanuel George, 17 years; Aborisade Ayomide, 17 years; Paul Chukwuchebe, 19 years and 16 -years old Lateef Adeoye.

He said the suspects, who claimed to be students of St. Anthony Grammar School, Esure, Ijebu-Mushin, Ijebu East, took the victim to a secluded room and r3ped her. 

Ogbonnaya added that the suspects also recorded the scene of the act and continually used it as blackmail to deter the victim from reporting the incident.

“The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ogun State Command Headquarters, Abeokuta, has arrested one Matthew Omotayo, male, 17 years and seven other suspected teenagers for alleged conspiracy, sexual abuse, unlawful sexual intercourse, exploitation and assault of a 14-year-old minor (name withheld) at the Ijebu-Mushin, Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State on Friday, November 15, 2024,” the statement read. 

“The alleged suspects, who claimed to be students of St. Anthony Grammar School, Esure, Ijebu-Mushin, Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state, took the said minor without consent to a secluded room and had violent sexual intercourse with her and putting the same event in a video form

“According to the narrative of the assaulted minor, she was sexually abused the first time and was recorded and the alleged suspects threatened to upload the video on social media if she did not allow them to have her again which she also consented to until her resolved to report the matter to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Divisional Office at Ijebu-Mushin, Ogun State.”

The NSCDC PRO noted that the victim, however, reported the matter after she was allegedly beaten and verbally assaulted by the suspects

He added that the victim’s statement led to the arrest of the teenagers while the victim was made to undergo a medical examination.

Upon conducting a preliminary investigation, Ogbonnaya noted that the command sought a remand order which was granted by a magistrate court sitting in Ijebu.

“The results of the investigations culminated in the application for a remand order by the state command’s legal officer through the Magistrate Court in Ijebu-Mushin, Ogun State,” he stated. 

“Upon the presentation of the matter by the prosecution counsel with several pieces of evidence, the court ordered a 60-day remand of the eight suspects after which the directives of the Department of Public Prosecutions on the matter should have been out.

“The Hon. Magistrate Sotayo granted the prayer of the civil defence legal officer to remand the suspects pending the outcome of the advice from the DPP, and he thereafter adjourned the matter to January 20, 2025.

Reacting, the Ogun NSCDC commandant, Remilekun Ekundayo, stressed that the command would not tolerate abuse of minors while noting that perpetrators of such acts would be dealt with.

“Commandant Ekundayo has noted that the Corps will not tolerate any act of abuse on the girl child nor a minor either by teenagers, caregivers, guardians, and/or parents,” Ekundayo stated.