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| Deceased husband |
There was unease at Oluwoye community in
Ibeshe, Ikorodu area of Lagos on Friday after an assailant suspected to belong
to a gang of rapists in the area, killed a 30-year-old pregnant woman Afusat
Yusuf, and stabbed her husband, Kazeem Yusuf. The man is now in a coma.
It was learnt that the
rapist also inflicted injuries on the couple’s two kids – Rodiat and Opeyemi,
aged six and five respectively.
It
was gathered that the attacker had gained access to the couple’s apartment
around 2am on Friday through the window and attempted to rape Afusat.
The
woman’s husband, Kazeem, was said to be awake in the process and reportedly
resisted the rapist, who resorted to hacking him and their two kids with a
machete.
Not
done, the suspect went to a neighbouring building and unleashed terror on
another couple, 52-year-old Sunday Robert and his wife, whose name had yet to
be ascertained. The suspect subsequently fled the area.
While
Afusat died on the spot, Kazeem and the children were rushed to the Ikorodu
General Hospital, where they are still receiving treatment.
The
incident was reported at the Ipakodo Police Division.
A
resident, who identified himself simply as Adisa, lamented the spate of attacks
on residents of Ibeshe community and its environs, saying the government had
not made significant moves to address the attacks.
He
said, “There have been series of attacks by this gang of rapists on residents
at different parts of Ibeshe. Several women have been raped and killed. Female
children were also molested.
“Around
2am today (Friday), a member of the gang attacked two houses. In the first
house, he hacked a pregnant woman, Afusat, to death and seriously injured her
husband and their two children. He inflicted a cut on Rodiat’s ear and smashed
an object on Opeyemi’s mouth. He also attacked a couple in another
building. They have been taken to a hospital.
“Residents
are moving out of the community because there is no solution in sight to these
attacks. Those of us who do not have anywhere to run to are living in fear. The
government has not come to our aid despite our outcry.”
A
community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being
hunted by the gang, said the community had petitioned the Lagos State
Government without getting meaningful results.
He
said, “We need the government’s help in Ibeshe. We have gone to the governor’s
office to make complaints but there is no response yet. We also met with the
Senior Special Assistant to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Community Affairs.
“We
want the government to unmask the gang members and those who are using them.
This community lacks security.”
Another
resident, Dele Olayiwola, said, “A member of the gang, Badoo, who was arrested
had been charged to a Magistrate’s Court in Surulere by the police without
notifying us. How are we sure that the case will be diligently prosecuted when
people who will testify in court were not informed?”
The
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, said the command
was already on the trail of the suspect, adding that the Commissioner of
Police, Fatai Owoseni, had directed the homicide section of the command to
investigate the case.
She
said, “The division received a distress call in the early hours of Friday that
a family had been attacked by unknown men . The DPO of the Ipakodo divsion led
a team to the area where the corpse of the victim was taken to a morgue. Her
husband and their two kids, who were also attacked, were rushed to a hospital
where they are undergoing treatment. One Sunday Robert was also injured in a
separate building.”
Source:Punch
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