By Evelyn Usman
A staff of one of the nation’s electricity distribution companies, DISCOs, has been arrested by the Police in Lagos for allegedly drugging and defiling a 14-year-old girl in the Ejigbo area of Lagos.
The suspect (name withheld), had gone to install prepaid meters for some residents of Akinwunmi Street, Ile-Epo area of Ejigbo when he met the victim (names withheld) who was trying to recharge her parent’s prepaid meter.
The 17-year-old suspect offered to assist her but ended up taking her to the DISCO’s Okota branch where the recharge was done.
However, on their way back, he reportedly took the girl to a hotel at Jakande gate, where he allegedly drugged her drink and raped her.
During interrogation, he disclosed that he drugged her with 200 milligrams of tramadol.
According to him, “I offered to go and recharge their meter but her grandmother asked her to follow me. On our way back, I bought her a bottle of soft drink. But before giving it to her, I went to the hotel where I dropped 200 milligrams of tramadol inside. I took her to the hotel where I paid N2,500 and had sex with her.
“She slept for too long because of the drug and by the time she woke up, it was late. When she got home, they asked what kept her long and in the process beat her to extract the truth from her. That was how she opened up.
“I have never committed such a crime in my life. This is the first time. I used tramadol to sleep because of the noise of the power generating sets in my compound every night. My intention was never to end up in this type of trouble.
“I dropped out of school two years ago because my mother, a widow, didn’t have money to pay for my WASSCE. I started installing pre-paid meters and was paid a N1,000 commission. I have been saving the money to enroll in the WASSCE. My mother is working as a maid to keep the family going.”
Spokesman for Lagos State Police Command, SP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the arrest.
