For sometime, communities in Ibeshe in Ikorodu area of Lagos state have been living in palpable tension due to the incessant deadly rape attacks being perpetrated by a notorious group of rapists known as Badoo.
The fear of this group, which specializes in attacking houses where women and their children stayed alone and has a culture of cleaning the private parts of their victims with handkerchiefs while also inflicting injuries on them or in some cases, stabbing them to death if they resisted, has continued to give the residents ceaseless nightmares while many have been abandoning the communities in droves to a safer abode.
This serial rape attacks have become regular affairs in many communities in Ibeshe area, and despite that some of the perpetrators had been caught and another one lynched by the irate residents, the rape attacks have continued unabated, which made many residents to believe that Badoo is more of a clique of deadly rapists rather than a one man gang.
Moreso, the residents of the affected communities were reported to have accused the police of complicity due to the allegation that each time suspects were apprehended, the police would dissuade residents from giving jungle justice, only for the police to free them later after arrest.
Although, both the traditional leaders and the joint community development association of these communities have made several concerted efforts to curtail these sad incidents, the strategies being employed by Badoo in carrying out their illicit acts seem too difficult for the community people to foil while several S.O.S (save our souls) messages sent by them to the Lagos State government and security agencies are yet to yield any positive intervention.
Oriwu Sun has been reporting the serial rape incident since the first case occurred in June this year, and we bring you the chronicle details of these rape attacks by Badoo in Ibeshe area with additional report from the Punch Newspaper.
SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2016
SUSPECTED RAPIST ATTACKED AND KILLED IKORODU METHODIST PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER
Details emerged in June of how a notorious serial killer rapist known as Badoo killed a female Ikorodu Methodist Primary School teacher, Mrs. Grace Ebina Isioma, on Sunday, June 5, 2016, in Ibeshe area of Ikorodu division.
Badoo, who according to report has been terrorizing both single and married women in Ibeshe and other nearby villages for the past two years by attacking and raping them in their homes at night, was captured on Sunday, June 5, 2016, a week after he had brutally raped and murdered late Grace.
In a brief telephone interview with Oriwu Sun, the Education Secretary of Ikorodu Local Government Education Authority (LGEA), where the deceased was an employee until her death, Mr. Taiwo Oduloye said late Grace must have been raped and killed by the serial killer rapist in his trademarked mode of operation.
According to him, the notorious rapist, in carrying out his devilish act, embarked on an unsuspicious surveillance during the daytime to identify houses, where single and married women live alone, and in the night, he would visit any of such houses wearing only a pair of boxers (short pant) and leaps through the fence if there is any, after which he would forcefully enter the room of his victim through the roof or ceiling.
Mr. Oduloye stated that Badoo usually cleans the private parts of his victims with handkerchief after raping them and also tends to be lenient with women, who allows him to have his way effortlessly. However, he turns violent with any of his victim, who attempts to resist his advances.
He explained that there had been several attempts by the residents and vigilante group in Ibeshe, particularly in Oke-Ota Village of Agbelekale area, to capture Badoo without luck due to his cunning habit of rubbing palm oil on his body each time he is going for operation and this according to him, enabled him to slip away easily whenever there was an attempt to grab him.
Mr. Oduloye, however, said Badoo ran out of luck in the early hours of Sunday, June 5, 2016, as he was apprehended by a vigilante group in Oke-Ota village while he was returning from one of his devilish operations wearing only a pair of boxers and was about to enter an uncompleted hotel building, which was reportedly owned by a woman believed to be a wife of an Oba in Sagamu. He added that Badoo had been using the building as his hideout for the past two years.
Furthermore, in the interview, he explained that immediately the notorious rapist was captured, he was taken to the palace of Baale of Oke-Ota, who subsequently ordered that he should be taken to the palace of Oba of Ibeshe, Oba Richard Ogunsanya, for the fear that he could be lynched in his abode.
The Education Secretary explained that late Grace was a hardworking librarian at the Ikorodu Methodist Primary School and was occasionally used as a teacher, adding that she was waiting for her letter of conversion to a class teacher before her brutal rape and murder.
He stated that the deceased, who hailed from Anambra State, had a nine months old child as at the time she was killed, had since being buried at her mother’s house in Parafa area in Ikorodu.
Mr. Oduloye also said that the death certificate of the deceased, which was obtained by the Ikorodu LGEA from her husband, who simply identified himself as Lekan and lives in Osogbo, has been sent to the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) as evidence of her death.
He, however, submitted that the doctor’s report on late Grace’s death certificate that she died a violent death due to a knock from a heavy object attested to the cruel violence inflicted on her by Badoo.
SATURDAY, JULY 9, 2016
About a month after, another set of rape suspects attacked an elderly sixty (60) year old woman identified as Francisca and blinded her ten (10) year old daughter, Marvelous.
THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2016
JOINT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCAITION (JCDA) SENDS S.O.S MESSAGE TO GOVERNOR AMBODE
…..SEEKS HELP OVER INCESSANT MAYHEM IN OKEOTA COMMUNITY
The Joint Community Development Association (JCDA), an umbrella body comprising many communities in Ibeshe land, sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) message to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, to save them from the incessant rape being carried out by a serial rapist in the area, named Badoo.
In the letter, which was signed by the Secretary of the Joint CDA, Ibeshe land, MBA Ogunlana and Chairman, Okeota Joint CDA, Pastor Adelakun Abayomi, they accused the high profile people in the area of sponsoring the evil that was going on and plotting to release the culprit, Badoo. While chronicling the incidents of rape in Oke-Ota community, they recalled that on May 29, 2016 by 2a.m, an 86year old woman was raped by the rapist and she ended up in the hospital; she was discharged after five days. According to them, the incident was reported at the Ipakodo police station. The photograph is shown in appendix A.
They also recounted that a Ghanaian lady named Grace was raped and brutalized around 3a.m on Sunday, June 5, 2016 and she later died in LASUTH, which prompted the Ghanaian High Commissioner to visit the area twice. Her photograph is shown in appendix B and C.) Appendix D is also the photograph of a woman, who was also attacked by Badoo. The photograph in appendix E was after the attack. A 63 year old woman and an 8 year old girl also fell victim of the serial rapist on July 9, 2016. The girl’s mouth and face were badly damaged, they stated. The photograph oand the scene of the attack was attached as appendix H.
They recalled that by July 11, 2016, the 8 year old girl was referred to Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, but she was rejected and later admitted at LASUTH. While bemoaning the incessant attacks and rapes on their women, they said many women have been moving out of the community, while equally expressing surprise that following the protest carried out by women to the palace of Olubeshe, the King claimed to have been briefed by the Baale a day before the protest. In their opinion, the incident had been going on for more them two years, and all accusing fingers had been pointing to the serial rapist named Badoo, who was arrested and released. They are not happy that the JCDA and CDA are not being carried along in the efforts to fish out the serial rapist and find final solution to their problems.
They are appealing to the state government to help in the girl’s treatment and to come to their rescue to nip this situation in the bud to avoid women deserting their community. They called on the Governor to ensure that justice takes its rightful course. In an interview with Oriwu Sun, the Chairman of Oke-Oota Joint CDA, Pastor Adelakun Abayomi, said that Owode – Ibeshe community was a peaceful community before these unfortunate incidents started happening, stating that if they don’t stop this criminal now, Owode-Ibeshe would be completely deserted.
According to another resident of Owode-Ibeshe, Mr. Femi Emmanuel, “It is only the Almighty God that could deliver us from him because he had been planning how to execute the plan and provide an escape route for himself.” Based on this, Mr. Emmanuel said it would be difficult for the police to capture him. Speaking with another resident, Mrs. Adewale, she accused influential people in the community for their negative involvement in the case, and also opined that without identifying them, there was nothing anybody could do about Badoo.
Another stakeholder, who refused to disclose her name, said the government should provide electricity at night to all the communities at Owode – Ibeshe so that no one would perpetrate evil under the cover of darkness.
Also speaking, Halimat, another resident, said the government and community Chairmen should provide whistle for all the members of the community so that whenever they see anything fishy around their environment, they would blow it to alert security operatives.
BAALE AWORI IBESHE-TITUN WANTS GOVERNMENT’S INTERVENTION ON RAPISTS
Chief Muhydeen Agbelekole, Baale of Awori-Ibeshe Titun Community, has appealed to both Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA and the state government to urgently intervene and rescue them from the nefarious activities of Badoo-like rapists in their area.
In a chat with Oriwu Sun recently in Ikorodu during an investigation, the Baale lamented that when the case of a suspect, who was taken to Ibeshe palace and later handed over to the police was unraveled, they thought they had seen the last of the rapists, but the situation has continued unabated.
The Baale could not help wondering aloud why those found to be serial rapists were always well statured and mature men. He also called for the improvement of Ipakodo police station and Nichemtex police station by increasing the number of police officers on ground. According to him, such a measure would ensure that more police officers would patrol all the communities in Ibeshe and be a great help in times of emergency.
One of the residents, who spoke with Oriwu Sun and claimed to be the first settler in the community in 1986, Mr. Trakeem Idowu, disclosed that contrary to speculations, the rapists were not indigenes. He revealed that the one, who was burnt very close to his house, revealed himself as a man from Delta State. In his words, “It is not more than three months now when Badoo entered this community. Initially, we thought it was just one person until recently, when one of them was caught and set ablaze. But on the third day, another Badoo-like incident occurred. Their modus operandi is that they go into houses to rape women and sometimes kill their victims.”
Recalling an earlier incident, he spoke about a five year old girl, who was kidnapped from a church after vigil and raped by another ‘Badoo’ before dawn. His words, “He came into the church and took the girl away. Subsequently, he tore her buttocks apart and left her in her own pool of blood. Fortunately, she struggled back to the church and she was found and rushed to the hospital. Now, the girl had been operated upon for the first time and she is still going to undergo the second one. I personally went to check her at the hospital, where I saw her buttocks still joined together with her private part,” he narrated.
Mr. Idowu also enjoined the government and the traditional institutions to step up efforts to end this atrocity. He also called on the police to investigate the speculation that the rapists are exploiting their victims for ritual purposes, and to sanction those, who might be sponsoring them.
A lady resident, who does not want her name on print, passionately pleaded with the traditional rulers and the government to change tactics, since their previous efforts didn’t seem to yield any result.
The situation of things at Oke-Ota and other communities, where these ugly incidents had taken place, had been that of panic and deafening silence, with the streets deserted and quiet. Many residents did not want to speak because the fear of ‘Badoo’ had become the beginning of wisdom for them.
Few of the residents spoken with attributed the success recorded by ‘Badoo’ to the type of building available in most parts of Ibeshe, which are mostly flats and mini-flats. They said a flat could easily be intruded upon and the occupants dealt with without anyone noticing it.
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2016
RAPIST ATTACKED EIGHT YEAR OLD GIRL IN WHITE GARMENT CHURCH
One of the serial rapist on Saturday, July 23, 2016, sneaked into a White garment church, Celestial Church of Christ, in Itewisaju community, a suburb of Ibeshe, while a vigil was ongoing, and abducted an eight year old girl. He raped the girl to a coma but was caught later that day and set ablaze by an angry mob.
According to a source, the girl, who was abducted from where she was sleeping with her siblings inside an insecticide treated net, was thrown through a fence and leapt upon by the rapist.
It was also learnt that having been brutalized seriously and her left arm broken in the process, she underwent treatment and was also billed for surgery at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, having suffered from visco-vaginal fistula as a result of the brutalization.
The dastard treatment inflicted on the girl later attracted the interest of a non-governmental organization (NGO), Mirable Centre for Rape Victims and she was handed over to the woman activist in charge of the centre.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016
On the early hours of Wednesday, August 10, 2016, it was the turn of a helpless woman who was raped by a rapist suspected to be a member of the dreaded group, Badoo, in Owode – Ibeshe.
A source, who did not want his name in print, disclosed to Oriwu Sun that the victim was pounced upon by her attacker after been hit with the back of an axe frontally leaving her seriously injured.
According to the source, he woman fainted and was not attended to until day break, when some of her co-tenants and members of the Joint Community Development Association in the area rushed her to the Ikorodu General hospital, where she was given first aid treatment before referring her to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
The doctors, who examined her, it was learnt, recommended her for an operation on Friday, August 12, 2016, stating that the axe had a great impact on her head.
The woman, who lives at Ilaje area of Owode – Ibeshe was attacked between 1a.m and 4a.m on that fateful day when was found alone as her husband had gone out. She became a victim after the rapist had operated in five other houses without success.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2016
DARE DEVIL GUNMEN MURDERED PREGNANT WIFE, MACHETED HUSBAND, TWO CHILDREN IN IBESHE
The mayhem in Ibeshe continued on Friday, October 21, 2016, when dare devil gunmen suspected to belong to the terror group, Badoo, attacked two couples in two separate houses at Oluwoye community in Ibeshe, killing a pregnant woman, and injuring others, including two kids, Rodia, six (6) and five year old Opeyemi.
The attacker, according to a report, gained access to one of the couple’s apartment around 2a.m that fateful day through the window and killed the thirty (30) year old pregnant woman, Afusat Yussuf, allegedly after a failed attempt to rape her while her husband, Kazeem, who tried to engage the assailants in a fight was hacked with their two children.
It was also reported that the gunmen, not satisfied by their dastardly acts, went to a neighbouring building and unleashed terror on another couple, fifty two (52) year old Sunday Robert and his wife, before fleeing the area.
Meanwhile, in another report gathered by Oriwu Sun, the attack on the deceased pregnant woman and her family was due to the involvement of her husband (Kazeem) in some deals with the gunmen, who were suspected to be killers.
According to a source, the gunmen, after gaining entrance into the victims’ apartment, pounced on Kazeem who was said to be awake and dealt with him including his two children who suffered matchet cuts.
Also, late Afusat, who was also awake that moment, saw those gunmen and was alleged to have recognised who they were and this according to report, was responsible for the reason she was killed by the gunmen.
While Afusat was reported to have died on the spot, her husband and their two children were rushed to the Ikorodu General Hospital for treatment.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016
62 YEAR OLD WIDOW, HER TWO CHILDREN ATTACKED BY A SUSPECTED RAPIST
The palpable panic in Ibeshe land was further heightened on Thursday, November 3, 2016, when a member of the infamous gang struck again, attacking a sixty two (62) year old widow identified as Mrs. Ogunleye and her two children, Seun and Funlola in their home at Ibefun in Owode – Ibeshe area.
It was learnt that the rapist, who was identified as a student, after gaining access to the victims’ apartment, hacked them with a cutlass, leaving them in a pool of blood, before fleeing the scene.
The woman, whose husband was said to have died a long time ago and who has been taking care of their two children alone, could only cry for help around 7a.m after the rapist had fled. People, however, rushed into their apartment and took her and her children to the hospital for treatment as their faces were covered in blood.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016
MOTHER, TWO KIDS ATTACKED BY RAPIST
On Wednesday, November 9, 2016, another incident occurred on Ahmadiyya Estate, Igbo Agbowa in Ibeshe area, when a woman and her two children sustained injuries inflicted by a rapist.
According to a source, the woman, whose name could not be ascertained, was about to follow her children to school around 9a.m on that day, when she and her kids were attacked. The injuries inflicted on the victims by their attacker led to their subsequent admission to the hospital for treatment.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016
RESIDENTS DESERT COMMUNITIES IN IBESHE OVER SERIAL KILLERS, RAPISTS
After being subjected to months of grueling serial killings and raping attack, residents of Igbo Agbowa, Owode, Oluyowe, Olu Odo, Ibefun and other rape ravaged communities in Ibeshe area of Ikorodu have reportedly been fleeing the areas in droves to seek a safer abode elsewhere.
It was gathered that while some residents had relocated to the residences of their relations in other parts of Ikorodu, others are still coming to their respective areas to trade and do some other things and leave at night to sleep at a more safer abode.
Some of the residents, according to report, had alleged that despite protests by women as well as petitions by the traditional leaders and Joint Community Development Association against the killings and rapes in these affected communities, police had yet to intensify patrols of the communities, while some suspects and hoodlums arrested in connection with the dastardly attacks had been freed.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badoos, was reported to have been directed by the State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni and had directed the divisional police officers in the area to fish out the culprits of the rape crime, adding that the communities have also expressed their readiness to partner the police to end the menace.
She also said the police had met with the leaders in these affected communities and had equally arrested some culprits, while also assuring that police operations in these communities would be maintained.
TALES OF SAD STORIES AND UNENDING COMPLAINTS BY HELPLESS RESIDENTS
Since the commencement of the serial raping and killings incident, respite has refused to come the way of the helpless residents as several protests, complaints and Save Our Soul (SOS) messages by them to the Lagos State Government and security agencies have yielded no positive responses.
The residents have however continued to tell their stories in order to attract public sympathy due to their ordeal in the hands of the nocturnal serial rapist group known as Badoo.
A school teacher, Sheriff Ajalogun, who said he left his Oke Ota personal house to put up at a rented apartment in the Aga area of Ikorodu with his family, explained that the situation became unbearable after more than five suspects were apprehended and the attacks continued. He said he had no choice but to move his family to safety.
“After more than five suspects were apprehended and the attacks continued. He said he had no choice but to move his family to safety. It now became obvious that there is more to the issue than just a roving rapist. I think it is a team work that is being coordinated from somewhere for some reasons.
“Why haven’t the police been able to curb the attacks? The Oba also made promises but nothing came out of it. I want to believe there is more to the matter and only God can reveal those behind it. These boys don’t steal anything from their victims. They rape them and wipe their private parts with handkerchief leave with it. Doesn’t that say something to you? I think it does,” he said.
A pastor in Ahmadiyya estate, Igbo-Agbowa, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said people are beginning to flee Igbo Agbowa community. “After several months of enduring attacks, people are fed up. Women are scared. No one knows whose house is next.”
A landlord in Oluwoye, who gave his name only as Ajayi, said the rapists attacked houses, where women and their children stayed alone.
He added that the rapists had a culture of cleaning the private parts of their victims with a handkerchief or stabbing them to death if they resisted.
He said, “There is panic in our area. The rapists usually targeted homes, where the men were not around. They would loot property and rape female victims. This does not leave out the elderly.”
A youth in one of the communities explains that when suspects were arrested, the police would dissuade residents from jungle justice, but the suspects would be freed later.
He said, “A few weeks ago, we caught one of them trying to rape a woman. He was beaten and burnt to death in Ibeshe. But at other times, the police did not allow jungle justice.
However, the rapists had not stopped their onslaughts on the residents.”
Also, a protester, who did not want his name to be mentioned, during a recent protest by residents of the affected communities against incessant attacks by the rapist in their communities, said, “It was some community leaders who prevailed on us to stop the protest. We are tired of these attacks. We have cried out to the Lagos State Government but no help is forthcoming. Our lives are seriously in danger.
“We have vigilantes in the community, but this menace is beyond what they alone can tackle. They were on duty when the incident happened. We really need government to help us tackle members of the gang and their sponsors,”
A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the most recent cases were reported at the Ipakodo Police Division, adding that the Divisional Police Officer visited the hospitals, where the victims were admitted.
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.
“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,” he lamented.
Another resident, 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 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.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016
RAPIST ATTACKS NURSING MOTHER AT OLU-ODO
A nursing mother simply identified as Mama Biola was also attacked by serial rapist gang, Badoo at Olu-Odo in Ibeshe, Ikorodu, in the morning of Saturday, December 3, 2016, barely two days after she gave birth.
It was gathered that her attacker stormed her residence around 4a.m and broke in through the window.
The victim was said to have been in the apartment with her four children when the rapist came.
It was gathered that the criminal locked her children in a room and then attached the woman, mutilating her severely.
Thinking the woman was dead, the attacker was said to have left and went to two other homes but was pursued by residents.
Neighbours were said to have discovered that Mama Biola was attacked and they rushed her to General Hospital, Ikorodu.
Following the severity of her injury, the victim who was already in coma, was referred to an unnamed hospital, where doctors were said to be battling to revive her.
A resident who hinted on the attack said people were deserting the area for fear of falling victims.
He decried the continuous attack by members of the Badoo gang, adding that they have appealed for the presence of security personnel without success.”