On the 4th of January, 2016, James Ikenna Onuoha, 42, allegedly raped a 14-year-old girl who is a niece to one of his tenant, in the presence her 3-year old cousin, at a one bedroom self-contained apartment in
Ajah, Lagos.
Onuoha was said to have gone to visit the homes of his tenants to discuss an ongoing outstanding rent. When he got to the victims house, he discovered she and her cousin were the only ones at home.
He then sexually assaulted the naive 14-year-old girl who had only been in Lagos for 3weeks, in the presence of her 3-year-old. In a bid to console her, he left N1,000 on the bed and left. Other tenants unaware of the incident, saw him arrive and leave.
The victim’s aunty came home and met her hysterical and inconsolable. Her 3-year-old daughter however recounted the story to her mom, saying: “Mummy landlord came, he push her on the bed and he do like this like this on top of her” describing to her mum and innocently recreating the movements she saw.
Dr. Okoro Akudo of the Etiosa LGA Heath Centre, who performed tests on the victim, found evidence of forceful penetration, bruises and semen inside the her. Exxon Mobil got involved and directed Onuoha to surrender himself to the police.
Yesterday, he was arraigned at an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court on 4 counts of rape and indecent assault and admitted to bail in the sum of N2m with two sureties and ordered to be remanded in the Kirikiri Prison pending the perfection of his bail.
The Director of the Office of the Public Defender, Mrs. Omotola Rotimi, who expressed her displeasure at the bail granted to Onuoha, said the Lagos State Government has taken up the case and would ensure that justice is served.
