Rapist attacks Lagos couples, kills pregnant woman, injures kids

There was unease at Oluwoye community in Ibeshe, Ikorodu area of Lagos on Friday after an assailant suspected to belong to a gang of rapists in the area, killed a 30-year-old pregnant woman Afusat Yusuf, and stabbed her husband, Kazeem Yusuf. The man is now in a coma. Saturday PUNCH learnt that the rapist also inflicted injuries on the couple’s two kids – Rodiat and Opeyemi, aged six and five respectively. It was gathered that the attacker had gained access to the couple’s apartment around 2am on Friday through the window and attempted to rape Afusat. The woman’s husband, Kazeem, was said to be awake in the process and reportedly resisted the rapist, who resorted to hacking him and their two kids with a machete. Not done, the suspect went to a neighbouring building and unleashed terror on another couple, 52-year-old Sunday Robert and his wife, whose name had yet to be ascertained. The suspect subsequently fled the area. While Afusat died on the spot, Kazeem and the children were rushed to the Ikorodu General Hospital, where they are still receiving treatment. The incident was reported at the Ipakodo Police Division. A resident, who identified himself simply as Adisa, lamented the spate of attacks on residents of Ibeshe community and its environs, saying the government had not made significant moves to address the attacks. He said, “There have been series of attacks by this gang of rapists on residents at different parts of Ibeshe. Several women have been raped and killed. Female children were also molested. “Around 2am today (Friday), a member of the gang attacked two houses. In the first house, he hacked a pregnant woman, Afusat, to death and seriously injured her husband and their two children. He inflicted a cut on Rodiat’s ear and smashed an object on Opeyemi’s mouth. He also attacked a couple in another building. They have been taken to a hospital. “Residents are moving out of the community because there is no solution in sight to these attacks. Those of us who do not have anywhere to run to are living in fear. The government has not come to our aid despite our outcry.” A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being hunted by the gang, said the community had petitioned the Lagos State Government without getting meaningful results. He said, “We need the government’s help in Ibeshe. We have gone to the governor’s office to make complaints but there is no response yet. We also met with the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Community Affairs. “We want the government to unmask the gang members and those who are using them. This community lacks security.” Another resident, Dele Olayiwola, said, “A member of the gang, Badoo, who was arrested had been charged to a Magistrate’s Court in Surulere by the police without notifying us. How are we sure that the case will be diligently prosecuted when people who will testify in court were not informed?” The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, said the command was already on the trail of the suspect, adding that the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, had directed the homicide section of the command to investigate the case. She said, “The division received a distress call in the early hours of Friday that a family had been attacked by unknown men . The DPO of the Ipakodo divsion led a team to the area where the corpse of the victim was taken to a morgue. Her husband and their two kids, who were also attacked, were rushed to a hospital where they are undergoing treatment. One Sunday Robert was also injured in a separate building.” SOURCE: PUNCH (AFEEZ HANAFI)