An Investigating Police Officer, Inspector Elizabeth Osikolu, on Monday, narrated to the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court how a Lagos housewife allegedly coerced a 19-year-old girl into a sexual relationship with her husband to bear a child for them.
Omolara Alashe, the housewife, and her husband, Ramoni Lateef, face three charges: conspiracy, rape, and sexual assault.
While presenting evidence, Inspector Osikolu testified that the alleged incident occurred in 2022.
She explained that the teenage victim, who had recently lost her mother, was offered shelter by the couple in their Ojota residence.
However, the officer revealed that the girl’s stay soon took a dark turn.
According to Osikolu, the victim disclosed that Alashe regularly pressured her into having relations with Lateef.
In addition, the victim reported physical abuse, stating that the couple allegedly beat her whenever she made mistakes in the household.
The lead state counsel, Mr. Babajide Boye, led the police witness in detailing the abuse, explained the severity of the allegations.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that a witness testified in court that Omolara, the first defendant, allegedly woke a 19-year-old girl in the middle of the night and stripped her, allowing the second defendant, Ramoni, to assault her.
The investigating police officer (IPO) told the court that her investigation revealed that Omolara and Ramoni had previously lost a baby in October 2022. Since then, Omolara had been unable to conceive, and the couple allegedly decided to use the teenager to bear children for Ramoni to prevent him from marrying someone else.
The witness stated, “The girl reported that one day in the sitting room, Omolara beat her, stripped her, and inserted her fingers into her private parts. Afterwards, she threw the girl out, and seized her ATM card, phone line, and salary to deny her access to her funds.”
Under cross-examination, defence counsel Mr Lekan Egberongbe questioned the credibility of the girl’s account, but the witness insisted on its truthfulness, adding that Omolara admitted to some of the acts in her statement.
The witness also noted that if the 19-year-old had consented to the abuse, she would not have reported it to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) or sought a medical examination at the Mirabel Centre.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until February 3, 2025, for further proceedings.