Two suspected rapists from Akwa Ibom State may spend the rest of their life on earth in the correctional centre if the law court convicts them of the crime.
The suspects- a 25-year-old Ofonime Emmanuel Essien of 15 Iba Oku Street, Uyo and Frank Okon- were said to have gang raped an NYSC member (named withheld) who is on a primary assignment in Uyo.
A press release issued by CSP N-Nudam K. Fredrick on Tuesday, June 9, the state Police Public Relations Officer, said following a complaint by the corps member on 24th May, 2020, detectives of SCIID, Uyo swung into action and arrested one of the serial gang rapists, one Ofonime Emmanuel Essien, while effort is on to arrest Frank Okon who is now at large.
According to the release, “investigation revealed that the victim visited her colleagues at No. 15 Iba Oku Street and later took her phone to the room where the suspects are living at the same address for charging and met Ofonime Emmanuel who pretended to be asleep, while Frank Okon and two girls were in the room.
“However, shortly after the victim left for her colleagues’ room in the same compound she was called by Frank Okon that Ofonime Emmanuel was awake. The suspects swooped down on the victim and serially gang-raped her as she entered the room.”
The release said “All the suspects have confessed to the crime and will be arraigned in court immediately.
“Consequently, the Commissioner of Police warns unscrupulous sex maniacs and others engaging in sexual abuse of minors and other females to desist forthwith, as the Command will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute them,” it warns.
The Criminal Code of Laws of Akwa Ibom State (2000) Nigeria Vol. 2 Chapter 30 section 367 doles out life imprisonment to any convicted for the crime.
But, Section 357 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, defines rape as “Any person who has unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or girl, without her consent, or with her consent, if the consent is obtained by force or by means of threat or intimidation of any kind, or by fear of harm, or by means of false or fraudulent representation as to the nature of the act or in the case of married woman, by personating her husband, is guilty of an offence which is called rape.”
