•Suspect: I won first court case, I’ll win again

Mathew Chibuzo, 23, looked at the journalists jostling to speak with him and smiled coldly. He was accused of raping two of his lovers, Vivian and Chioma.

The first time, he was accused by Vivian and some months later, by Chioma. In Vivian’s case, he was taken to court.

According to him, he won the case. Chibuzo, who was arrested by policemen from Lagos State Police Command on the allegation that he raped Chioma, his current lover, said he wasn’t worried about the accusation.

He said: “I was taken to court over a similar offence and I won. Definitely, I’m going to win if charged to court again!” Chibuzo, a commercial motorcycle rider, plying Alaba International Market routes, was said to have been arrested after Chioma accused him of rape.

Chibuzo said that the only crime he committed was in beating Chioma. Recalling his first arrest, Chibuzo said: “It happened in January 2016. My lover, Vivian, accused me falsely of rape.
Vivian and I had been dating for long until I started losing interest in her. Vivian has a cousin called Blessing.

Vivian attends Covenant Life Church, while Blessing and I attend Sabbath Domain Church. I used to see Blessing at church services. I started developing feelings for her. I decided to break up with Vivian to date Blessing.”

Acting immediately on his decision, Chibuzo jilted Vivian and started dating Blessing. The decision, however, didn’t go down well with Vivian.

One day, Vivian came, fuming and accusing him of rape. He thought the lady was joking until she brought in the police.

He was arrested and charged to court. He said: “The court set me free because there was no evi-dence to prove I raped Vivian.

After I regained my freedom, Blessing broke up with me. I was troubled by Blessing’s action because I had already developed a closer relationship with her. I was even planning to propose marriage to her.”

He noted that after Blessing jilted him, he met Chioma. He wooed her and they soon started dating. He confessed to have dated Chioma for six months before a serpent crept into their paradise.

He said that Chioma used to spend nights in his home, cooking and washing for him. She also used to assist him fi-nancially.

Recounting the fateful day that cracks appeared in the walls of their relationship, Chibuzo said that he was in a beer parlour, drinking with a friend when his phone rang, It was Chioma.

She implored him to come to her place. When he got there, she said they should proceed to his place.

They did. Chibuzo said: “We were in my room, listening to music when Chioma’s phone rang. When I checked the caller, it was a person I had warned her several times to tell to stop calling her. I became angry. I ordered her to pick the call, but she refused.

I became uncontrollable; I was already drunk. I then unintentionally beat her.” Chibuzo said that when he woke up the following day, he saw the severity of his beating and cringed in shock. He took her to a nearby chemist and bought medicine for her.

He noted: “Since the incident happened, Chioma had been using it as a means to extort money from me. I gave her whatever she demanded because I felt so guilty.”

He thought the matter was buried and forgotten until Chioma reported the case to a third party. A woman she calls ‘Auntie’ in their street.

When the woman saw Chioma’s black eyes and face, she was livid. Chibuzo said: “This woman took Chioma to Human Rights Desk at Alaba Police Station.

Chioma called me that she needed N1000 for more medicine. She said she was standing in front of my house. When I rushed over to give her the money, I saw her with policemen. I was scared and ran away.”

When he later called Chioma to ask about the policemen, she told him that her aunt invited the policemen.

Although he was scared, he decided to turn himself in the next day. He said: “I went to the police station and explained myself.

The policemen listened, collected my phone and locked me in a cell. Chioma came to the station 30 minutes later.

She was crying. I thought her words would exonerate me, instead, she told everyone that I raped her. I was shocked. I shouted.

I tried to look into her eyes, but she bowed her head and continued to cry. Chioma broke my heart with her lies. I trusted and even saw her as a wife material.”

Chibuzo, who appeared to know all the elements needed to charge someone for rape, said: “I have asked police to present proof that I raped Chioma.

I have also called their attention to the fact that even her clothes were not torn. Chioma is my lover. There was no way I could have raped her!”

Newtelegraphonline