Paulinus

The six-year-old girl, Favour, who was allegedly raped by a middle aged man and a father of five, seems to have got the law on her side as the man has been re-arrested.

When the case was first reported to the police by Favour’s mother at Ojo Police Station, Lagos, the alleged rapist, Paulinus Nwajiobi a.k.a Broncho was charged and detained. However, the man was soon released on bail.

Substitution
Few days later, Favour’s mother, Florence Elobuike, went back to the police station and was shocked to find out that the man had been released. Expectedly, she raised alarm. Some knowledgeable persons advised her to take the matter to the Human Rights Department of the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.

She was also dumbfounded when she discovered that the rape charge has been curiously substituted for "indecent assault". Being an influential man, Saturday Sun learnt he pressurized the police to soften the charge.

Following the petitions raised by Favour’s mother and her lawyer, the charge was withdrawn. The accused, Saturday Sun learnt has been re-arrested and kept behind bars at State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, pending when he would be charged to court. Saturday Sun reliably gathered that the accused has been making frantic efforts to wriggle his way out and regain his freedom again. He is alleged to have recently offered Favour’s family the sum of five million naira to quash the case.

Favour’s ordeal
According to Favour’s mother, Florence, she was raped after she came back from school on March 5, 2007. When the suspect was earlier arrested, he was quoted to have told the police that he would pay N100, 000 to pacify the aggrieved mother. To crown it all, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) was said to have told the woman to collect the money in her own interest "as what has been done cannot be undone." After the indecent offer was made, Florence insisted that she wanted justice. The police at Ojo Divisional Headquarters gave her a date to come back to the station. On appointment day, she met another shocker. She was told that the accused had been charged to court, without her knowledge and he had been remanded in prison custody.

Recall
Recalling the sordid incident, Florence said: " I brought my daughter back from school on that day. Then asked her to go and change her uniform and come back and meet me at a nearby stall, where I was doing petty trading. The man came around, forced Favour inside the house, and raped her.

After that, my daughter came to me limping. I asked her what was wrong; she began to weep, holding her private part. She narrated her ordeal to me and told me the man told her not to mention it to me or she would die.
When Saturday Sun interviewed little Favour, amid sobs, she said: "He placed me on his laps and pushed his p***s into my body. I was crying when he put me down. He used his handkerchief to wipe off the blood on my buttocks."

Doctor’s confirmation
Florence reported the case and the police took little Favour for medical examination at Badagry General Hospital where a doctor confirmed that that the child had been truely raped. The medical report signed by one Dr Lawal Kazeem Olufemi says: "Healed bruises at the valva, whitish discharge per vagina, broken hymen with associated pains on touching the labias".

Denial
When contacted on the phone earlier before his re-arrest, the accused said: " I keep things in a warehouse at that place. That woman is a poor woman and I have been helping her. I used to pay her N200 monthly to watch my things for me. We even had intimate relationship. On that day, I went there to carry the remaining materials. I had left in the warehouse. I did not touch her."

Rescue
Barrister Tony Dania who is currently handling the case free of charge told Saturday Sun that he was attracted to the case when he saw the mother of the child looking helpless like a destitute at the Human Rights department.

" I went to Panti and met the mother of the girl looking like a destitute and helpless. I listened to her story and was moved. I imagined the girl to be my little girl at home. I immediately indicated my interest to stand as her lawyer free of charge.
"The accused was granted bail in suspicious manner. I hope the police would discipline the IPO that was involved. The police, however, withdrew the case and transferred it to the state CID where it is now receiving proper attention.

"Paulinus would be charged to court soon even though his recent move is to sort his way out of the case. Recently he offered the sum of five million naira to kill this case. We hope the law would use him to cite as an example.

" We intend to file a civil suit against Broncho. This is a case that would be heard in the high court and if found guilty, he would go in for a life sentence.
A public-spirited neighbour, who heard of Favour’s plight Mrs. Tina Ativie, relocated her and her mother to a new residence. Saturday Sun learnt, the lady the did this in an attempt to wipe out the bad memory of the rape from the little girl’s mind.