There was pin-drop silence in an Ikeja High Court in Lagos yesterday as one of the women physically abused by a mob in Ejigbo two years ago relived her ordeal.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Idowu Alakija, Mrs Ajoke Agomo told Justice Toyin Ipaye how she and her daughters were stripped naked and pepper robbed on their faces and private parts.
She said they were assaulted by some members of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Ejigbo market leader and others.
Mrs Agomo said she was at home when the first defendant (Baba Oloja) came asking for the whereabouts of her daughter, Nike.
“I told him that I did not know Nike’s whereabouts and he started searching the house. Later, he sighted my daughter coming in through the gate. This made him to slap my face. As he was dragging my daughter away with another man named Tinrin, I rushed to tell my husband what has happened.
“When my husband and I got to the market place they had already stripped my daughter and my step daughter (Julie) naked. They then took hold of me and proceeded to strip me naked and rubbed pepper all over my face and private parts,” she said.
The witness said the Baba Oloja and others mixed pepper with gin before “rubbing the mixture into their private parts and stirring the place with a stick”.
“They then beat us mercilessly with pankere (cane). We were all pleading with them but they did not listen. After some time, Baba Oloja asked my husband to bring N150,000 which we could not produce as we didn’t have. We then begged him and he collected N20,000 from us”.
Mrs. Agomo alleged that the Baba Oloja and his cohorts forced their landlord to eject them.
“I sought refuge at a mechanic’s workshop and it was during this process that my baby, Janet, who I was nursing, died. But I am not blaming anyone for her death. I accepted that it is the will of God,” she said.
Mrs Agomo said she returned to her hometown where she was treated for bruises she sustained during the ordeal.
She said Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin took their case to the House of Assembly where they were given money for treatment.
She pleaded with the court to ensure justice for her and her daughters.
Earlier, Justice Ipaye granted the 10 defendants bail.
The defendants: Isiaka Waidi, 61; Saheed Adisa, 29; Lateef Tijani, 37; Ahmed Adisa, 65; Azeez Akinosun, 36; Jimoh Busari, 50; Adekunle Adenuga, 38; Oloruntoyin Dauda, 46; Buhari Yusuf, 22; and Abdullahi Haruna, 20- are standing trial for alleged torture, attempted murder and sodomy.
All the counsel, in separate applications, urged the court to grant them bail on liberal terms and in line with terms of bail granted at them by a magistrates court last June 27. They claimed to have satisfied their bail condition.
Mrs Alakija opposed their applications.
Ruling, Justice Ipaye said: “I will be delivering one ruling on all the applications. It is equally settled that all defendants are innocent till proven guilty. Having considered the charge preferred against the 10 defendants, they are hereby granted bail in the sum of N250,000 each and two sureties in the like sum.”
The judge said: “The sureties must be related by blood and must have paid tax for the period of three years, with evidence of livelihood within the state.”
She adjourned the matter till July 14.
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