By Aderogba George
Ms. Felicia Ogbonna, a 21-year-old Nigerian, has sought government intervention and demanded justice over an alleged serial sexual assault committed against her by a Lagos businessman, Mr Emeka Uyalemuo.
At a news conference organised by her lawyer, Mr Martin Agba, in Abuja on Friday, the victim alleged that the suspect had repeatedly raped her, even with the knowledge of his wife.
While narrating her ordeal through her lawyer, the victim stated that the abuse began in 2021 when she was still 17 years old and living with the Uyalemuo family in Lagos.
Ogbonna said that Uyalemuo’s wife, Mrs Ngozi Uyalemuo, who is her cousin, not only failed to protect her but allegedly encouraged the abuse and even filmed her to further compromise her situation.
“My name is Felicia Ogbonna. It all started in 2021 in Lagos when I was staying with my aunty, my cousin. Mr Emeka Uyalemuo, also known as Dallas, started raping me repeatedly.
“My aunty actually led me into it, she told me she wants to set a trap for her husband to know whether he is actually in love with her, she encouraged me to do different things all in the act to catch her husband.
“When I reported to my aunty what the husband did to her, she asked for proof and told me to set another trap for him again. My aunty did nothing, instead, she began to push me towards her husband.
“My aunty even gave me waist beads from her husband to use in making naked videos for him,” Ogbonna said tearfully.
The survivor recounted a harrowing experience when, in spite informing Mrs Uyalemuo that she was unwell and menstruating, she was still forced to go to her husband.
“I couldn’t take it anymore. Until I found a way to escape from the house,” she said.
The survivor further alleged that after her escape, Uyalemuo and his brother-in-law, Ifeanyi Njoku, began a campaign of blackmail and intimidation against her family.
She, however, pleaded with the Federal Government and the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to intervene to ensure she gets justice.
Her lawyer, Agba, said the case was a grave violation of human rights and called for swift action by law enforcement and relevant government agencies.
According to him, this is a clear case of violence against women and the abuse of a vulnerable young girl, with the accused using his power and influence to suppress the case.
He said that the fact that the suspect’s wife actively participated in the abuse made the case even more shocking.
He added that the case was reported to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Lagos and the police, but no major action was taken.
“This man continues his business as if nothing happened, while the survivor lives in fear and trauma,” he said.
He called on the Lagos State Government, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, and international NGOs to step in, ensure that justice is served, and provide rehabilitation for the young woman.
In spite of the initial report to the Lagos State command of NAPTIP, the complaint was also lodged at the NAPTIP Headquarters in Abuja, where the agency promised to follow up on the case.
Mrs Tolu Odugbesan, NAPTIP’s Director of the Violence Against Persons and Prohibition (VAPP) Act, while interrogating the victim, pledged that the agency would ensure justice is served.
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA