HOW I ESCAPED, RAPISTS , RITUALISTS- 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
BY PATIENCE OGBO
That beautiful Ada Nba Agbazue is alive today remains a miracle and hard to explain. Although, at the moment, she is lying critically ill at a hospital at Ilemba Ajangbadi, Lagos with her two hands and left leg fractured.
Ada is writhing in pain after she fell from the fourth floor of an abandoned 18- Storey building at the Abule-Ajanloco area of Lagos state on December 26th when she went to meet her facebook friend.
Ada said she is alive to tell her story from her sick bed to teach others to be careful how they make friends on social media .
She wept when she told how a suspected ritualist she identified as Michael lured her through Facebook and almost killed her in a the uncompleted building .
Ada had, on Sunday, December 28, 2014, got dressed for a date with her Michael but the meeting which was supposed to end in joy turned sour as her male friend whom she claimed she had never met before lured her and threatened to kill her with a knife.
Residents of the area saw Ada as she fell from the building thinking that she was a witch but police investigations revealed that Ada was a victim of bad facebook relationship.
Our correspondent trailed Ada to the hospital where she is receiving treatment and the young lady revealed how she was almost raped and about to be used for ritual purposes before she escaped her attacker by falling from the building.
Ada was asked how she met the man that lured her and she has this to say. What do you do for a living?
Ada: I am a young school leaver, I wrote JAMB and I am waiting my admission into the university. He told me his name is Michael but he is not any Michael that I know. He told me that he was my facebook friend but I don’t know him anywhere. I don’t know if anybody gave him my number. I know all the Michaels on my facebook but he is not one of them. He took my phone away. I told people to call my number but the number has been switched off since he went away with my phone. My parents have called the number too but it is still switched off.
Ada further narrated her ordeal in the hands of the suspected ritualist.
“ I don’t know him. That day, I got a call on my mobile phone. My phone was that ringing and ringing. The man said he wanted to speak with me. I don’t know how he got my number but he told me that it was from Facebook page but he is not my friend on face book. He told me his name is Michael but he is not any of the Michaels that I know. I did not see any harm because he said we should meet at the Ile -Nla Bus Stop and that place is a busy place . When I got to the bus stop, I noticed he was looking at the phone and he looked up to see my face. He was standing opposite the road” .
Read further excerpt of the interview with Ada.
What happened after he saw you?
Ada : Like I said, the number was just calling me. When I met him, I was looking at his face he was looking at my face and looking at his phone. I told him “ I don’t know you” he told me to cross to the other side of the road where he was standing . He touched me and immediately, I lost my senses. I started following him . It was just him, no other person was with him. He is a young man around 24 or 25 years old. He told me that he is staying with his mum and brothers in the uncompleted building and they have neighbours . He told me that they are living inside that building (18 floors abandoned Federal government building ). As we were going inside the building, this should be about 4.30pm, I saw a lady coming out from the building. I saw passers-by and people playing ball. When we entered, he took me to the fourth floor and when we entered a big room, I saw clothes. He told me that even the other side there have neighbours there. When we were climbing up the stairs, I told him that I was tired and he was pleading with me. I saw some strange diagrams, cultists diagrams painted on the wall. I saw a human head by the wall. The head is not fresh but the head has long weavon(attachment) on it . I was scared when I saw the head . I wanted to go back but he brought out a knife . I was kind of scared but not too scared . He ordered me to climb up into the wider room. The place is looking like an umbrella and it has many windows . He ordered me to leave the window. They inscribed the word Buccaneer on the wall. He told me that he is a Buccaneer and I saw a lot of cultists diagrams on the wall. I moved away and he told me to start pulling off my clothes. I told him you are not my husband so I cannot pull off my clothes for you;he told me that I was proving stubborn but I continued to beg him, but the more I begged me, he was using the knife to threaten me. He said if he calls his friends, it will be too much for me oo. He started making calls, he made the first call and he started calling the second person. He told me that I should not try to run that if I try to run, he will catch me because he knows his way around. He moved to a tiny corner of the room while making calls . I moved closer to the window and I try to climb down by holding a pole that I saw. At this point, he ran to me and held my hand trying to prevent me from escaping . I used my other hand to push him and that was how I fell to the ground.
What happened after you fell, were you unconscious?
Ada: No I was not. I felt only sharp pains. He ran away after I fell . people came around and helped me. I was in pain. Later the police came and took me away in their van. The police took me to two hospitals but they rejected me. One of the hospitals gave me injection and pain killers. I used somebody’s phone to call my parents and they came and took me to a private hospital . My two hands are broken and they are in cast(Plaster of Paris). My left leg too is broken and in cast too. I came move my leg but I am feeling sharp pains on my left lap.
What do you do for a living?
Ada: I am a young school leaver, I wrote JAMB and I am waiting my admission into the university.
What is the name of this man ?
Ada: He told me his name is Michael but he is not any Michael that I know. He told me that he was my facebook friend but I don’t know him anywhere. I don’t know if anybody gave him my number. I know all the Michaels on my facebook but he is not one of them.
Did he take anything from you?
Ada: Yes. He took my phone away. I told people to call my number but the number has been switched off since he went away with my phone. My parents have called the number too but it is still switched off.
What did you think happened to you there in the building?
Ada: My being alive is a miracle and I am grateful to God. With what I saw in that room, that man can be a cultist, he can be a ritualist . He told me that he is a Buccaneer .
Has the police contacted you to find out what really happened because the Lagos state police Public Relations officer DSP Kenneth Nwosu said police men came to see you but you refused to cooperate with the police to arrest the man?
Ada: The police took me to the hospitals but I was rejected. It was my parents that brought me to this private clinic. I did not refuse to cooperate with the police . When the police came, I told them what happened but the policemen said it was a lie and they went away without taking my statement. I want the guy to be arrested so that other women and girls will not fall victim. In my case, I was hypnotized and this can happen to anybody. The police should investigate so as to stop him from hurting other people.
Our correspondent visited the building where Ada was almost killed and investigations revealed that the 18 storey building which the residents said belonged to the federal government is a white elephant project which has been abandoned for decades but serves as home to auto mechanics, petty traders and other artisans who are using the surroundings for business purposes.
Also aside the trading going on around the building, there is also a football field beside the building where youth in the area meet to play football.
Though the environment looked busy, residents in the area said they are scared of entering the building as they alleged that ritualists used the place as hideout for their nefarious acts.
A resident who identified himself as Jide Olarawaju said “ I have been living in this neigbourhood for the past three years but I have heard stories that the building belongs to the Federal Government . The building has been abandoned for many years and there is no sign that the government is going to do anything. The place is a huge white elephant project wasting away without benefitting anybody except the ritualists who have turned the place to their den. I learnt that they have seen dead human beings there so a lot of people avoid entering the place . It would be nice if the government can take over the building or sale it to private people instead of them leaving it fallow for ritualists and killers to use as their hideout. That place is gigantic enough for a big factory or residential building , the floors have tiles and the place is worth billions of naira if put to meaniful use but it is sadly wasting away”
When the Lagos state police spokes person Kenneth Nwosu was asked if any arrest has been made over the incident, he said the suspect is still on the loose.
“The police have not arrested him. This is due to the girl’s refusal to cooperate with the police. I want to use this medium to advise the youth to be extra careful about friends on social media. A lot of youth have been hurt through facebook and other online sites . I want the parents to monitor their children and wards and ensure that they are careful and not fall victims to criminals on social media”
We are battle ready to stop crime this year – Manko
Police
boss Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Onikan
Lagos , Umar Manko assured residents in Lagos and Ogun states that the
police are battle ready to stop all crime and criminality in the New
Year and as the General elections approaches.In order to have maximum security in Ogun and Lagos states, . Mr. Manko who also spoke about other issues concerning the Nigeria Police Force urged residents to go about their lawful business as the police in the Zone are not resting on their oars in ensuring that residents and visitors are protected from men of the underworld.
“ The police in the Zone 2 Police Command are working hard to ensure safety of lives and property in Lagos and Ogun States. We are going to provide a level playing ground for all the politicians and political parties .
We however want the politicians to play by the rules of the game so that there will be peace . We are always ready to nip crime in the bud .I have been to the Ogun and Lagos state police commands where we discussed the security situation in the states .
We have been having series of meeting with the Divisional Police Officers , Areas commanders and other senior officers and I told them that we do not have to wait for festive period to provide maximum security. We are always providing the best round the clock security for Nigerians and visitors .
Every policeman has been placed on high alert so we can have a crime -free New Year and the during the forthcoming general elections”.
Mr. Manko also assured residents that the recently reintroduced Gender Desk in the Nigeria Police Force will handle issues of rape , domestic violence and other related issues with the professionalism required adding that rapists will be made to face the full wrath of the law under his watch.
“Establishing the Gender Desk is a directive and a mandate from the Inspector General of Police. Essentially, the Gender desk will take care of issues that concern both men and women. Some people think that Gender is all about women but gender also includes men. Issues like domestic violence against men and women in Lagos and Ogun States will be handled by the Gender Desk.
In some cases, you find out that the woman is stronger and she can beat up the men. Issues like rape, defilement , molestation among others will be pursued vigorously by the Desk.
The Gender Desk in the Zone is to coordinate the activities of the Gender Desks in the state commands and we are prepared to carry out this function .Already, the two state commands, Lagos and Ogun states have complied with the IGP’s order .
We are following the directives to ensure that the Gender Desk is functioning . Also, at the Zonal Command, we are establishing a mini GENDER DESK that will be manned by competent officers who are trained for such duties .
The Gender Desk at the Zonal Command will supervise the ones at the state commands. Our major function is to supervise the commands and I am assuring that issues that affect women and the girl child will receive the best attention under my leadership.
We are reorganizing the Special Anti robbery Squad too . We are making things better at the Zonal command level so that issues that are brought here receive the best attention”. AIG Manko also spoke about the clashes between the Police and the Civil Defence Corps over the protection of pipelines in Ogun and Lagos states .
He also spoke about allegations linking police men to pipeline vandalism adding that residents should cooperate with the law enforcement agencies to nip crime in the bud and report all suspecting persons . “It is unfortunate that there were clashes between the police and the Civil Defence Corps.
The Civil Defence Corps has the statutory responsibility of protecting critical federal government installations and the police have the duty to protect lives and property and ensure public safety so there should be no misunderstanding if every service plays their roles.
The IGP’s Anti-Pipeline Vandalism Unit is headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police and the IGP has mandated the Unit to ensure that they carry out their duty without causing friction so as to prevent clashes .
Also, all the field Commanders are known to me and under my watch, clashes will not happen again. I will ensure that they carry out their duties without causing any friction.
The police recently arrested some persons suspected to be pipeline vandals after months of surveillance. We arrested some persons who buy the proceeds from vandalized pipelines and we recovered 224 Kegs of what we suspect to be Petrol Motor Spirit .
The police also recovered 112 empty kegs from the nefarious activity. The Nigeria Police Force will not tolerate officers involved in any shady operation with vandals .
If such a policeman is arrested, they will be made to face the full wrath of the law”. AIG Manko also addressed growing concern over the behavior of some policemen who involve themselves in domestic violence to the extent that they end up killing family members , friends and neighbours and in some cases, inflicting injuries on others over minor misunderstanding.
He said such behaviours are isolated cases and not the character of Nigeria Police Force . AIG Manko also cautioned policemen to abide by the dressing code of the Force as the Police high command is poised to instil discipline in the officers and men of the Force.
“I need to reiterate that such behaviours( fighting and killing by policemen) are not acceptable in the Nigeria Police Force and it is not a way of life for policemen. This is just individual differences.
It is totally based on the individual and not a way of life for policemen and therefore should not be ascribed to the police. I feel any policeman who behave in this manner should be taken for psychiatric evaluation.
A policeman who kills another person will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law as we will not tolerate such behavior among our officers and men”. Concerning the issue of dress code for policemen, I would like to state that nobody has asked the policemen to stop wearing the black uniform.
The blue and the camouflage are additions to the black uniforms . The IGP Suliaman Abba has not issued any directive in that regard.
Those officers who are saying that they have been asked to stop wearing the black uniform are misinformed ; The Nigeria Police Force has a code of dressing and the officers and men are advised to abide by this code .The problem of police accommodation is not new and previous Inspector General of Police have in their own way addressed this issue .
The present IGP is also looking into this issue and he has assured that the welfare of police officers and men will be taken care of not just when they are in service but after they have retired . The IGP is also looking into other issues confronting the police Force.
If a policeman has decided to commit any offence, he or she should not expect to receive the same treatment as members of the public.
This is because a policeman is under oath to protect lives and property. What do you think will happen to a policeman that assisted armed robbers? or those who are accused of rape ? When such a policeman is arrested, he will face the Orderly room trial and from there if he is found wanting then he will be dismissed and prosecuted .
A policeman is paid with tax payers’ money and the highest responsibility and conduct are expected of him. I will not tolerate any bad behaviour from policeman. If they are found wanting they will be dealt with accordingly and if they are innocent of the crime then they will be set free.
We will not take the matter with levity because the person that is accused is a policeman, rather we will look into the allegation will all seriousness so we will not allow bad eggs to remain in the Police Force.
