A 7-Year-Old’s Ordeal In The Hands Of Rapists

There is no let-up yet in the incidences of sexual defilement in Nigeria. Seven-Year-old Chideira Jaja was a recent victim of sexual defilement. The men who allegedly violated her were aged 43, 21 and 19.
Chideira and her aunt, Ngozi, recount the little girl’s ordeal in the hands of those who sexually violated her.
Seven-year-old Chideira Jaja is a precocious girl. She is ebullient and intelligent. But beneath this little girl’s liveliness and enthusiasm is a serious pain that only love and counselling from discerning and adults can heal.
The pain is a direct consequence of how she was sexually violated by three paedophiles. And these unscrupulous adults, 43-year-old Kassim Mohammed, Oluwatobi Daramola and James Aniekan were alleged to have serially defiled the little girl between July 2012 and January 2013.
Oluwatobi and James were said to be about 21 and 19, respectively although they allegedly claimed to be 17.
Her ordeal started in the hands of her alleged defilers when she was about six years old.
Two of the men, James and Tobi, had already at different times been arraigned at a Magistrate Court in Lagos for the alleged defilement. The arraignment of Tobi was held weeks after that of James.
Tobi was arraigned on a one-count charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with the hapless little girl.
The charge sheet reads: “That you Daramola Oluwatobi ‘m’ between July 2012 and January 13, 2013 at Idowu Egba, Ikotun, Lagos in Lagos Magisterial District had sexual intercourse with one Chideira Jaja “f” aged 7 years and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.”
The journey from the period of Chideira’s alleged defilement up to the time the suspects were arraigned was a thorny one for the poor girl.
Chideira who lived with her aunt Ngozi Tracy Ugwu and her husband, at 2, Oladipo Close, off Lawani Ogunle Street, Greenland Estate, Isheri area of Lagos, herself narrated what she suffered in the hands of the men.
“My uncle (her aunt’s husband) and I were going to the shop. Tobi saw us. He then greeted my uncle. I also greeted him.” But the next day, my uncle told me to stay at home, eat and do my homework. My uncle said he would be back at home that he wanted to collect money from his shop.
“I went downstairs to buy biscuit. Tobi then saw me. He then greeted me ‘Fine girl, how are you?’ I said ‘fine.’”
Chideira said Tobi asked her if he could buy her anything. She said he bought her gala (a brand of beef snack) and a bottle of Coca-Cola.
“The day after that, Tobi and James came again without the small boy. They now put their wee-wee (penis) inside my bum-bum (private part).
“Tobi left but Kassim used his wee-wee for me. He said that if I shouted he would kill me with the knife. When Kassim had finished, he said I should show him my bathroom. I showed him and he bathed. After bathing, he said I should bring a glass cup. He shared the Five-Alive. He gave me four rolls of gala while he took two.
Chideira said she did not report all these things to her aunt and her husband because Kassim threatened to deal with her if she mentioned his name.
Explaining the situation, Chideira’s aunt, Ngozi said the ordeal of her niece started when she travelled to Abuja where she preferred to be delivered of the baby in her womb.
She said that she was in Abuja between June and August last year, and even had to return to Abuja for medical attention because some complications developed after she had given birth through a Ceasarean section.
Chideira was left in the care of her husband and a cousin while she was in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the family of Chideira who no longer has any trust in the ability of the police to prosecute the three suspects is making efforts to get the Lagos State Government to take over the case from the police.