Police Arrest Cultists For Gang-Raping 17-Yr-Old In Ebonyi

The Ebonyi State Police Command has paraded three suspected cultists for allegedly gang-raping a girl, 17, at a hotel at Okposi in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state.

The state police public relations officer, Mrs Loveth Odah, told newsmen Monday in Abakaliki that efforts were on to arrest other three fleeing suspects involved in the crime.

Those already in the police net gave their names as Uchenna Okoronkwo, Philemon Akuma also known as Kosoko; and a 20-year-old mother of four, Nnenwaogo Ogbonna, also known as Lady Zanga.

The victim alleged that Lady Zanga lured her to a hotel where she was blindfolded and raped repeatedly by the cultists for rejecting their advances.

In her words, “When I got there, they told Zanga to take me to the room. Then they ordered me to remove my clothes, which I did because Zanga threatened that if I don’t do that, she would shoot me.

“I removed my clothes before she tied my eyes and they came inside. They were four that had sex with me.”

Lady Zanga, who identified herself as the coordinator of the women’s wing of the cult group, said she lured the girl to the hotel because her members threatened to kill her children if she failed.

According to her, “Even myself tried to prevent it but some of the men threatened the lives of my children because they know my house very well.”

The ring leader, Uchenna Okoronkwo, who claimed to be a graduate of political science, said they gang-raped the girl as punishment for refusing to serve them drinks at the pub that she worked.

He said, “When I came in, I asked her why did she refuse to serve us and she started lamenting.

“I now gave her a slap, out of vexation. I left there but some of our men said they should go and ‘treat’ her. So we went there, but the manager of the place began to have issues with us and I left.”

Another suspect, Kosoko, father of six, said he was in his farm when he was invited to the hotel.

He said, “Some people were coming out. They were coming out and I asked what was going on and they said everything was over, that she was insulting them.”

He denied having any affair with her.

The state PPRO said, “At the end of prosecution, if they are found guilty, they would be jailed.”