One Of Nigerian Top Politicians Sentenced To Life Imprisonment For RAPING a Pregnant Woman

A court in Ilesa, Osun State, has convicted and sentenced to life in prison, a powerful politician in the state, Obafemi Kolawole, for raping a pregnant woman. To go with the prison term, Kolawale is to recieve several lashes of the whip as a lesson.

According to PM News, the said Obafemi, a staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, was alleged to have, on the 15th of September, 2007, raped an Action Congress of Nigeria, (now All Progressives Congress), member, Tosin Ajakaye, who was pregnant as at the time of the incident, after the 2007 gubernatorial election in Osun State.

The newspaper reports that Kolawole was charged before the State High Court sitting at Ilesa, on a two-count charge of rape and indecent assault contrary to Sections 358&360 of the Criminal Code cap 34, Vol II, Laws of Osun respectively in the case of The State Vs Obafemi Kolawole HIL\2c\2009.

At the trial, the victim narrated ordeal that on 15th September, 2007, the convict and his cohorts, came to arrest her at her house at about 7:30 p.m. and took her away for an unknown offence.

On sighting them and knowing their antecedent in the vicinity, she took to her heels but the convict was said to have pursued, caught up with her and beat her up. Having overpowered her, he stripped her naked and raped her.

When my cry for help became unbearable, he covered her mouth. Unfortunately, those living in the same compound with me had gone to the Mosque because it was the period of the Muslim fast.

Thereafter he bundled me into a waiting jeep to join two other men whom I found in the same predicament as mine.

She later explained that they were driven to the home of a PDP chieftain, and tied to a tree where the trios were mercilessly flogged. She said Kolawole later untied her and plucked out her pubic hair, put it in her mouth to swallow with dry gin, and thereafter went ahead to insert a tin opener into her vagina and as well poured dry gin all over her body. There he raped her again.

One of the victims of the brutal act, Lawal Sikiru, who testified as prosecutor witness 2, corroborated Tosin Ajakaye's story. He said he was one of the two naked men in the waiting jeep; the other was one Gbadamosi Lasun.

He stated further that he had earlier on received his own share of beating, and bundled naked into a jeep belonging to the PDP chietftain when Ajakaye was brought in naked. He confirmed that the trio were driven to the house and tied to a tree where they were mercilessly beaten and the content of dry gin was poured all over their body.

According to him, Ajakaye was untied by the accused who plucked out her pubic hair, inserted a tin opener into her vagina, and as well went ahead to pour dry gin in her (vagina) and then sought the consent of the Chief to have sexual intercourse with her.

The chief consented and she was taken to the boot of the jeep from where they heard her shouting for help.

The Medical examination conducted on Ajakaye three days after the incident at LAUTECH by Dr. Isawumi revealed that there was penetration and that the swap taken from her was full of alcohol. It was also discovered medically, that as at the time of the incident the prosecution was pregnant.

Delivering his judgement, the presiding Judge, Honourable Justice A. B. Abdulkareem, found the accused guilty as charged, and sentenced him to life imprisonment.