A Prosecution Witness, Olayemi Hosa, on Wednesday narrated to the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court how her husband, Olumuyiwa Adjoto, allegedly raped her sister’s six-year-old granddaughter, at their home in Mowo, Badagry, Lagos in 2022.
Hosa, a trader who spoke in Yoruba and translated in English language, told Justice Rahman Oshodi that the victim had come to spend the Easter holidays in their home when the defendant defiled her.
She testified that the incident happened on April 19, 2022, when the victim came for a two-week Easter holiday.
The defendant is standing trial for alleged defilement of the minor who is now eight years old.
The witness who was led in evidence in chief by the Lagos State prosecution counsel Inumidun Solarin told the court that before the incident occurred, she had asked the victim to go and greet the defendant on Wednesday morning when she woke up.
She stated that the victim came to inform her that her husband gave her money and she then asked the victim what she said to the defendant and she replied that she told him “Thank you”.
Hosa, who is the second prosecution witness, narrated that she had left her sister’s granddaughter at home with her husband to go to Idumota Market, adding that upon arrival, she found out that the girl had been sexually defiled by her husband.
She said, “On Friday, I went to Idumota Market around 5:00 a.m or 6:00 a.m, by that time, I couldn’t wake her (victim) up nor make other arrangements. So, I left her at home. By afternoon, I missed Olumuyiwa’s call but I didn’t have call card to call back, so, I returned around 5:00 p.m.
“When I got to the gate, I noticed the girl was unhappy and I thought that was because I left her at home to go out.”
The witness said the girl was moody and after the family’s dinner, she asked the victim to follow her outside so they could get fresh air outside their apartment as there was no light.
She further told the court, “As I sat down and put her on my lap, she heaved a painful sigh and jumped up. I asked what happened and she said ‘My bum, bum, it is Daddy.’”
According to her, she ran into the house with the child, placed her on the bed and asked her what Daddy did to her.
Quoting the minor, “She said when I was writing, ‘Daddy put his hand in my bum, bum and his penis and I was shouting. He asked me to keep quiet. He slapped me and covered my mouth with a white clothe. After he was done, he cleaned me with a white handkerchief and said I should go out and play with a friend.’”
The witness told the court that she took the child to General Hospital in Badagry, where a medical doctor examined her genitals.
She stated that the doctor asked the child questions, and the victim insisted that it was the defendant who sexually abused her.
Hosa further stated that the doctor asked her to go get a police report before she could be given a medical report.
The witness said when she reported the incident at the Badagry Police Station, officers followed her to arrest her husband.
She added that on getting to the alleged crime scene, the police officers realised the defendant was a well-known person to them.
Hosa then accused the police of trying to overturn the matter, stating that they started shouting at her.
She claimed she searched and called the Mirabel Centre.
The prosecution witness also explained, “I called Mirabel, they now sent a document through my phone to fill and then I attached it to the doctor’s report.”
She said the police later took him to court.
“I took her to Mirabel where a test was conducted on her and Mirabel gave me a letter to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, and I was told that the matter was in court but the DSVA said they wanted to go and check my file at the Department of Public Prosecutions and it was discovered that the file at the DPP’s office got missing as the file was empty. I was asked if I had copies of the result I said yes. So, I had to go home to get it and they replaced the results in the file, with the copies I had,” she added.
Under cross-examination, Hosa maintained that she left the girl at home with her husband because it was too early to wake the child and take her to a house close by for lessons where she use to play with her age mates, though she claimed her husband had earlier accused her of preventing him from relating with the child.
She told the defence counsel who queried why she left the alleged victim with her husband whom she had earlier claimed while being led in evidence in chief that she had similar experiences with him, but she stated that she thought that since the girl is a minor her husband wouldn’t mess with her.
The witness said the child informed her that the time of the incident was in the afternoon.
In a bit to puncture the evidence of the witness, the defendant’s lawyer also asked her, “Did you know that the defendant was out for most of that day and did not come back until 5:00 p.m?”
Hosa insisted, and said, “The girl told me they were together that he did not go out, so it was what she told me and that was what the doctor confirmed and that is what I have come to tell the court.”
However, Justice Oshodi adjourned the case to March 12, 2024, for continuation of trial.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.