The teenager was raped by her stepfather, 60-year-old

 

A 14-year-old girl, her 10 year old brother, and their 42-year-old mother have all been living in a makeshift kiosk that has seen better days in Shagari Estate in Iyana Ipaja – Ipaja, Lagos . The trio started living in the kiosk after the Mum caught her Husband allegedly raping her. Names of the children and mother will not be disclosed so as to protect their identity. (Tomilola isn't the girl's real name)
The teenager was raped by her stepfather, 60-year-old Joseph Salako and were sent packing after her mom confronted him and raised the alarm.

When Punch correspondent and the Executive Director, Esther Child Rights Foundation, Mrs. Esther Ogwu, visited the woman and her children at the kiosk during the week they were in a very pitiable state.
 

Their Mum said in July 2015, she caught her husband, Tomilola’s stepfather, moments after raping the teenager and raised the alarm. She said reported the matter at the Gowon Estate police station and Salako was subsequently arrested by the Police but was released the following day because he promised to pay N50,000 for ‘damages’, a deal she was forced to accept because of the threats by Salako’s other older children and the need to raise money to take care of her sick children.
 

The Mum said she met Salako 9 years ago after she lost her 1st Husband in a motor accident. She added that her daughter and son were suffering from sickle cell disease. She said she has an 8 year daughter with Salako who still lives with him.
 

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The teenage girl said her stepfather had the habit of sleeping with her at any slight opportunity and threatened to kill her if she told anyome about it.
 

She narrated:

“My mum had told me to always go and greet him anytime I got home. So, when I came back from school, I went to greet him. I was about leaving when he called me and said he wanted to tell me something that I must not tell anyone.

“He said he wanted to sleep with me. I refused but before I could run away, he carried me and took me inside. He tore my panties and ‘did it’. I was crying because it was paining me but he didn’t stop. I tried to shout but he covered my mouth. When he finished, he cleaned my legs and his ‘thing’ and warned me that he would kill me if I told anyone.”

She continued, “That was not the only time he did it. At other times, he would call me and tell me to ‘suck’ him and because I usually refused, he would slap me. Sometimes, in the midnight, he would come down from the bed and ‘do it’ with me. If I tried to shout, he would cover my mouth and ask if I was ready to die. I would have to endure the pain and just keep quiet.