By Prosper Mene
A yet-to-be-identified man accused of raping a female secondary school student in the Ojodu area of Lagos has been arrested after the survivor spotted him inside the school premises and raised the alarm.
The incident, which occurred about two months ago at the victim’s residence, only came to light on Wednesday when the suspect walked into the school compound, triggering an immediate reaction from the traumatised teenager.
A viral video obtained by City Round showed angry residents dragging the suspect towards the Ojodu Police Division at Grammar School Bus Stop, Ogunnusi Road, as they demanded instant justice.
A resident who witnessed the arrest and spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondent that the suspect, believed to be a roadside shoe cobbler in the area, gained access to the girl’s home under the pretext of asking for drinking water.
“He told the girl he was thirsty and needed water. As soon as she turned to fetch it, he forced his way into the house and raped her,” the resident said.
The survivor initially kept silent about the assault, confiding only in her personal diary. The matter reportedly surfaced after someone read the diary entry and alerted others.
The same resident alleged that the suspect had previously attempted to rape another female student of the same school during a church programme.
“The second girl said she went to use the restroom, thinking it was for females only and didn’t lock the door. The man followed her, barged in and tried to force himself on her, but she fought back, hit him and escaped,” the source added.
The suspect was said to frequently loiter around the area, sometimes pretending to be homeless, despite having a shoe-repair spot nearby.
A senior official from the Lagos State Office of Education Quality Assurance confirmed that preliminary findings showed the actual rape did not occur on school premises.
“The survivor saw the suspect within the school complex, instantly recognised him and alerted the school counsellor. He was immediately apprehended and handed over to the police. She told the school the incident happened at her residence,” the official stated.
As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, could not be reached for official comment.
This latest case comes months after the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency confirmed the arrest of another suspect for the alleged sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl in Iyana Ipaja, underscoring the persistent challenge of sexual violence against minors in the state.
