The Nigerian lady who was raped in Lekki by a hotelier’s son, Chima Eyinnaiya, 25, and his friend Segun Razak aka Dj RicoChima, 28, has narrated how her parents are being threatened by family of the accused.
According to the lady, the trumped up charges filed by the parents of her violators are done to intimidate her parents.
In an exclusive interview with LIB, the victim revealed:
“On the 3rd of February, 2019 my life was changed forever when I was raped by someone who I thought I knew and his friend. A lot of people have noticed the change in me since my dignity was forcefully taken away from me but don’t know what happened. It’s weird that your friends have read your story but don’t know it was about you; I have had friends who have sent the link of my story to me unaware that I am the subject. I am being forced to relieve the harrowing events which changed my life over and over again as a result of the activities of the parents of my violators towards my witnesses, friends and family.
As a rape victim, I have chosen to stand against all odds and despite the stigmatization attached to it all in the quest for justice and also to motivate others who are or may find themselves in the unfortunate similar position. This statement is not about me and how my dignity was forcefully taken away from me but rather it’s about the injustices and persecution those dear to me are being made to undergo just for the simple fact they have made the often-hard choice to be a witness and stand by a victim.
I am not friends with both of my violator; I only know Chima Eyinnaiya or at least thought that I did. The second of my violator -Segun Razak aka Dj Rico – is a friend of Chima. My recount on how they both drugged and raped me is already known to the public however, what remains unknown is how my friends and family have been persecuted with trumped up charges filed by the parents of my violators.
In the aftermath of my rape, I recounted what had happened to me to a close friend who went back to the hotel with his sister and we called the police in order to confront Chima and Segun. I didn’t come out of the car because I was still in shock but when Chima and Segun were confronted they confessed and owned up to what they had done to me. Picture and video recording of their criminal act was found in their possession. Following the discovery at the scene of the crime the police officers tried to effect the arrest of Chima and Segun but Chima’s father came and obstructed the arrest by locking the hotel premises. Chima’s father then desperately offered money bribe to stop the arrest of his son which was declined.
As a result of the commotion being caused a crowd had gathered and a few people attested that this was a trend with Chima. Chima’s father on realizing that there was strong evidence against his son from the testimonies of a few people in the crowd quickly called his friend and threatened my life claiming he knows people at the police hierarchy. At this point the police had to call for back-up which led to two more police men being sent and with their help Chima and Segun were taken to the Maroko police station.
Following their arrest, Chima and Segun were arraigned in court despite their family trying to derail the matter and pleading to the me to end the case. Things took a turn after the arraignment of Chima and Segun when Chima’s father came with 2 police men to arrest my friend and his sister who were held against their will immediately after stepping out of the courtroom. They were locked up for a day and forced to make statements without being told why they were arrested even when their families came no progress was made as the O.C in charge of the case had deliberately left. My friends were only able to secure police bail the next day with the help of their family lawyer and were asked to report at the police station every day At this point the reason for their arrest was revealed to be that the parents of Chima and Segun claimed in a petition that they brought 3 buses filled with 30 people to the hotel who threatened lives, shooting all over the hotel and destroyed properties. Their petition further stated that one of my friends took a gun to Maroko police station and was shooting and the DPO didn’t arrest him. When the matter brought before the AIG, he said the officer in charge should settle the case as he didn’t think there was enough evidence against my friends as bullet shells was not found at the alleged crime scene.
Despite having no case against my friends, the parents of Chima and Segun tried to join the rape case against their children and this trumped up charge against my friends as a single case with the intention to derail the former. The OC handling the case forced my friends to call my parents who were told to drop the rape case in exchange for the trumped-up charges to be dropped. My father had to agree to this being that someone else’s son and daughter’s liberty were at risk just because they were defending me. Segun Razak’s father asked for a letter of withdrawal of the rape case against his son addressed to the DPP, the court, gender and all the witnesses of the victim should swear an affidavit.
My father got legal representation and settlement terms was drafted and handed over to their lawyer for review. Afterwards the OC monitoring said they should not involve lawyers but resolve it within themselves. In exchange Chima issued to us a forged letter of withdrawal for the trumped-up case against my friends.
Thinking we had settled the case; it was a shock to receive a call from the IPO to report to zone 2 and when my friends arrived, they met both the parents of Chima and Segun at the OC monitoring’s office. Everything that followed happened fast; the charge sheets against them were completed and it became clear there were plans to charge them to court without due process. The IPO then started manhandling them to court and he refused to allowed them get legal representation, threatening to shoot. They were taken to Igbosere magistrate court were there were arraigned and bail was given thanks to the help of lawyer who was at the court premises sympathetic to their plight. The case has been adjourned until the 15th of May 2019. It was at this point I realised that the case against my friends was a twisted vendetta driven by the parents of my violators when they found out that I could not drop my case against Chima and Segun in exchange to save my friends from further persecution.
Despite it being the only logical option at the time the Lagos state government were going to proceed with the rape case against Chima and Segun in court.
My concern now is whether justice would to be served in light of the risks my friends and family have been subjected to on the account of crime committed against me. Despite my fear about coming out to fight the injustices against me – the effect of this experience which has been mental, physical and affected my business- it doesn’t compare to having someone else suffer all for doing the right thing by standing up for a victim.
I will not deny myself the right and opportunity to bring the truth to light, because I know by so doing someone else who might have had a similar experience would be inspired to stand up for her right.
To the parents of the Chima and Segun: I am as ashamed for you as I am sorry for you. I believe you may have daughters and if they fall victims of rape what would you do? Put yourselves or your daughters in the shoes of the victim. How do you move from apologising and begging over the actions of your children to fabricating a case against innocent people all with the aim to pervert the cause of justice to protect your predatory children? Your act of intimidation and coercion is unacceptable! The truth will come to light and legal justice will be served.
This trend has to stop.
