Five men were, yesterday, arraigned at the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court for allegedly using social media to “lure, kidnap and rape” two women in Lagos. Gabriel Obinna, 20; Nnadozie Akabueze, 21; Hector Ugochukwu, 32; Chinedu Ezechukwu, 21, and Godwin Balogun are facing a six-count charge of conspiracy, kidnapping and rape.

Moments after they pleaded not guilty, the state prosecuting counsel, Mrs O. Akinsete, requested that the defendants be remanded in custody. He said: “We humbly apply for a date to come for trial and that the defendants be remanded in custody.”

Obliging Akinsete, Justice Sybil Nwaka ordered that the alleged gang-rapists be remanded at the Kirikiri Prisons.

According to Akinsete, the defendants committed the offences at 4.30 p.m. on July 25, 2016, at a hotel in Agege, Lagos.

“The defendants posed as a female called Vanessa on social media platforms, befriended and lured Complainant A (name withheld) and Complainant B (name withheld) each to the hotel on two different occasions.

“When the women arrived the hotel, instead of meeting their ‘friend’ Vanessa, they encountered the five defendants, who were lying in wait.

“The complainants, in their similar experiences, were beaten, gang-raped by the men and forced to call family and friends to send money for their release.”

The prosecution said the offences violated Sections 260(1), 271(3) and 409 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2011. Justice Nwaka adjourned the case till February 15 for trial. (Vanguard)

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