Onazena Abbey, Benin
It was a moment of anguish and pain for 24-year-old Favour Ada Friday, who was recently accused of phone theft, as she recounted her ordeal.
With uncontrollable tears gushing down her cheeks while recalling her most terrible moment in the hands of her accusers, she said: “What hurt me most was when they stripped me naked, videoed me and put pepper into my private part.”
She made this disclosure at the Edo State Police Command when the police paraded her assailants before newsmen in Benin-City.
According to her, she admitted stealing the IPhone worth N440,000, after a native doctor threatened her with live snake, having been subjected to magical manipulation of implanting live bullets in her stomach, which were later removed.
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The victim said her trouble started on February 1, when she went to a hotel along with her sister after she received a phone call that someone was in need of a lady.
She said: “Barely 30 minutes after we left the hotel, some boys invaded the hotel where I stayed and accused me of stealing an Iphone. They started beating me. So, the director of the hotel came and pleaded with them that the next day we will go to a native doctor to find out who actually stole the phone. The next day, they took us to one Lucky Igbinovia, popularly known as ‘one man squad’.
“It was after the native doctor left that the boys started beating me and inserted pepper into my vagina. It took the intervention of a woman, who rescued me. Later at the hotel, we were forced to pay N250, 000 to the boys, who invaded our brothel. Few days later, which was on a Sunday, one of the boys sent the video to one of my friend’s phone, even after we had paid some money for the phone.
“Before now, the native doctor asked us to write our names on a sheet of paper that whoever took the phone, his or her name would appear on the paper after performing some ritual and incantation.
“I wrote my name twice and it disappeared so the native doctor said I was the one who took the phone that I hid it somewhere. I pleaded with them that I didn’t steal any phone but they turned deaf ear.”
Those arrested are Otoghile Joel, 36 years, Lucky Igbinovia, 52 years aka one-man-squad, Edobor Osemwengie, 30 years, Kingsley Iyamu, 50 years and Ekpomwen Friday 25 years.
Meanwhile, three of the accusers have been remanded in prison custody by a Benin High Court over forceful insertion of raw pepper into the private part of their victim.
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The order of remand followed their arraignment on 14-count charge, bordering on unlawful attempt to kill, attempted murder, kidnapping and unlawful insertion of noxious substance into Ada’s vagina.
Prosecuting Counsel, Peter Ogwumba, told the presiding Justice J. Acha that investigation revealed that no phone was missing and that the allegation was concocted to extort money from the victim.
On her part, the Assistant Treasurer, International Federation of Women Lawyers, Joe Odiase, who condemned the posted video of how the victim was stripped naked, as dehumanising, said the state chapter of the association had decided to pursue the case to its logical end to ensure that justice is done
“We don’t want to sit back and watch helplessly. We want to prosecute the case, after which we will rehabilitate the victim and set up business for her,” she said.