Hard Culture: Woman and husband suffer pain of rape in silence because of tradition

Her failure to report an incident of rape to the police turned a woman named Chioma to one confined in a prison where her baby contracted a disease.

Orazu, a businessman who is reluctant to let go of his former lover, Chioma has raped the latter while her husband Sanni attended church service.

The victim who works at an insurance firm started experiencing a bad run of events when the ex who showed an interest to visit her residence.

She had just put to bed and had asked the permission of partner before accepting the request but it seemed a regrettable move for the nursing mum at her residence in Alakuko, Lagos.

 

The alleged rapist had made good of a threat promising consequences when she ended their relationship of no prospect.

“I told him he was married already with children and I couldn’t be his mistress forever.

"He threatened to deal with me if I married another man, but I didn’t take his threat seriously. We are from the same local government but different towns – I hail from Ofumeyi while he is from Ukpor.

“In January 2011 when my husband and I were back in Lagos, he called me several times. I told him the calling must stop because I am a married woman and I wouldn’t want anything that would destroy my home.

"He stopped calling me until June 30, 2015, around 10pm when he called again. Initially, I didn’t know he was the caller because I had deleted his number.

“We exchanged greetings and he jokingly said I would have had many children. I told him I just had my third child ten days earlier. When he offered to come and greet the baby, I told him I would need my husband’s consent before he could come.

"When I told my husband, he said I should give him our address since there was nothing between us any longer. On Friday, July 3, 2015, I sent the address to him.

“My husband said I should let him in and that he was on his way home. We are the only family living in that compound and my nephew, Kester, who lived with us, had not returned from a tutorial class.

"He was preparing for GCE exams then. I asked the man why he came at such time. He said he went somewhere and that if he did not come that day (July 5), he might not be able to visit again.

“As soon as I ushered him into the living room, he asked about my husband and I said he would be back soon.

"He said he cared for a soft drink and I went into my room to pick the money so I could send my first son, Victor, to buy it. Victor (born through another relationship) was 12 then.

“Before I knew what was happening, he raped me right in my bedroom. Victor rushed in while I was shouting, but he could not stop him.

"I was bleeding when he went to the bathroom to clean up. That was when my husband entered," the victim told Punch in a chat inspiring pity.

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Husband stops alleged rapist from escaping

Chioma bowed in the struggle to resist her tormentor but Sanni arrived in time to prevent a clean operation for Orazu.

Following his capture, members of his family were invited to visit Alakuko where he was held.

Punch gathered that he informed his wife on the phone about being in a different location but the victim's husband made clear that he was not.

 

The matter progressed to settling for a N300,000 compensation though the victim wanted to tell the police. She was made to endure the presence of her abuser until his sister paid the agreed amount.

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But this brought a grave consequence to the couple and it started with the victim's nephew Kester.

On Saturday, August 1, 2015, SARS operatives visited Chioma's home to arrest her. She was to be released as soon as her husband who was away on trip turns himself in.

Punch confirmed that the police had received a report that Sanni kidnapped the alleged rapist Orazu and had forced him to make a statement that he abducted his wife's ex-lover in order to collect a N10m ransom.