The Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has narrated how eight teenagers allegedly gang-raped and filmed a 14-year-old girl in the Ijebu-Mushin area of the state.

The narration was contained in a statement signed by the command?s Public Relations Officer, Dyke Ogbonnaya.

Ogbonnaya narrated that the suspects, which included 17-year-old Mathew Omotayo and seven others had taken the victim to a secluded room and had canal knowledge of her without her consent.

He added that the suspects also recorded the scene of the act and had continually used it as blackmail to deter the victim from reporting the incident.

He identified the other suspects as ?Mojeeb Solomon, male, 16 years; Olamilekan Adefuye, male, 18 years; Damilola Ismail, male, 19 years; Emmanuel George, male, 17 years; Aborisade Paul Ayomide, male, 17 years; Paul Chukwuchebe, male, 19 years; and Lateef Adeoye, male, 16 years.?

Ogbonnaya said, ?The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ogun State Command Headquarters, Abeokuta, has arrested one Matthew Omotayo, male, 17 years and seven other suspected teenagers for alleged conspiracy, sexual abuse, unlawful sexual intercourse, exploitation and assault of a 14-year-old minor (name withheld) at the Ijebu-Mushin, Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State on Friday, November 15, 2024.

?The alleged suspects, who claimed to be students of St. Anthony Grammar School, Esure, Ijebu-Mushin, Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state, took the said minor without consent to a secluded room and had violent sexual intercourse with her and putting the same event in a video form.

?According to the narrative of the assaulted minor, she was sexually abused the first time and was recorded and the alleged suspects threatened to upload the video on social media if she did not allow them to have her again which she also consented to until her resolved to report the matter to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Divisional Office at Ijebu-Mushin, Ogun State.?

The NSCDC PRO noted that the victim, however, reported the matter after she was allegedly beaten and verbally assaulted by the suspects.

He added that the victim?s statement led to the arrest of the teenagers while the victim was made to undergo a medical examination.

Upon conducting a preliminary investigation, Ogbonnaya noted that the command sought a remand order which was granted by a magistrate court sitting in Ijebu.

He continued, ?The results of the investigations culminated in the application for a remand order by the state command?s legal officer through the Magistrate Court in Ijebu-Mushin, Ogun State.

?Upon the presentation of the matter by the prosecution counsel with several pieces of evidence, the court ordered a 60-day remand of the eight suspects after which the directives of the Department of Public Prosecutions on the matter should have been out.

?The Hon. Magistrate Sotayo granted the prayer of the civil defence legal officer to remand the suspects pending the outcome of the advice from the DPP, and he thereafter adjourned the matter to January 20, 2025.?

Reacting, the Ogun NSCDC commandant, Remilekun Ekundayo, stressed that the command would not tolerate abuse of minors while noting that perpetrators of such acts would be dealt with.

?Commandant Ekundayo has noted that the Corps will not tolerate any act of abuse on the girl child nor a minor either by teenagers, caregivers, guardians, and/or parents.

?She emphasised that anyone caught in such an indecent act would be dealt with decisively according to the dictates of the law,? Ogbonnaya concluded. (Text, excluding headline: The PUNCH)

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