Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 45-year-old tailor, Fasasi, over an alleged seizure of a 16-year-old girl’s underwear and clothes after raping her in the Agege area of Lagos.

The 45-year-old who is currently cooling his heels in custody of the State Police Command was alleged to have called the girl and asked her to also buy him some food while running errand for her mother.

It was learnt that when the teenager demanded for the plate of the food she bought for Fasasi, the 45-year-old allegedly led her to his room where he demanded she removed her clothes and underwear.

The tailor reportedly packed the underwear and the clothes away before coming back to rape her.

When he allegedly refused to return her underwear and clothes after the incident, the girl reportedly fled the room. It was learnt that one of the suspect’s neighbours noticed the girl and came to her rescue.

Fasasi was arrested after the incident was reported at the Isokoko Police Division.

Narrating her experience, the 16-year-old said, Fasasi threatened to stab her to death with a knife if she raised the alarm, adding that when the suspect refused to return her clothes after the incident, she fled the room with one of his wrappers.

She said, “It was on April 19, 2015, at about 5pm. My mother and I live on Shaiba Street in the Agege area. I had never gone to the tailor’s house before. I did not know he was a rapist.

“On the fateful day, he asked me to follow him inside his room to get the plates that I would use to buy food for him. Once I entered the room, he immediately locked the door behind him. He then brought out a knife and threatened to kill me if I did not undress.

“I begged him, but he did not listen. I was scared that he would kill me, so I obeyed. But after removing my clothes and underwear, he collected them from me, and went out with them. I asked him where he was taking them to; he said he was taking them to his shop.

“Seconds later, he returned and he raped me. I was shouting inside the room, but no one seemed to hear me. When he was done, I asked for my clothes, but he said he would not release them unless he had one more round. As soon as I saw an opportunity, I took one of his wrappers, and forced my way out of his room.”

The teenager further stated that when she ran out of the room, one of Fasasi’s neighbours noticed and came to her rescue.

“When I got outside, I met a woman who was one of Fasasi’s neighbours. When she saw me, she understood what had happened and confronted him,” she disclosed.

Lending her voice to the matter, the victim’s mother appealed to the police to ensure that Fasasi returned her daughter’s clothes.

She said, “I am afraid of what he might do with my daughter’s underwear. What does he want to do with her clothes? I have been worried since the day this incident happened.”

The incident was also reported to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team and Mrs. Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, in her response said a request has been made for the case to be transferred to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

“It was a non-governmental organisation that brought the matter to our attention. What we then did was to refer the victim to Mirabel Centre for proper treatment. We also made a report to the police to ensure that the suspect was arrested and charged to court.

“As we speak, the DPP has requested the case file to be forwarded to it. This is a case of alleged defilement, it will be prosecuted by the DPP,” Adeniyi disclosed.