Distraught mother narrates how cousins raped her minor daughters

A middle-aged mother, who simply identified herself as Rachael, has given an account of how her two cousins repeatedly defiled two of her daughters.

The suspects, Saviour Philip (35) and Paul Philip (17), are currently being detained at the Human Rights unit of the Lagos State police command for the offence.

The suspects were accused of defiling their nieces, aged eight and 13 years, who were kept in their custody by their mother at the Bariga area of Lagos State.

A visibly angry Rachael narrated that her daughters’ ordeal began soon after she moved in to stay with her elder sister in her two-room apartment in Bariga.

She said, “I was compelled to move into my elder sister’s house because my one-room apartment was taken over by flood. I used to live at the Sawmill area of Bariga.”

She explained that her children’s ordeal started about three weeks ago when her cousins began, she alleged, raping them. She added that Saviour and Paul took turns to rape her daughters, after which they allegedly threatened to kill them if they dare reveal to anyone what had happened.

One of the victims (names withheld) disclosed to Eko Trust at the Human Rights section of the police command that the older of the suspects usually had anal sex with her while the younger penetrated her private part.

She repeated that Saviour threatened to kill her if she told anyone what transpired between them, adding that he brought out some charms which he threatened to use against her.

Explaining how she was defiled, the older victim said, “Paul started it. One day while arranging my sibling’s clothes after my mother had gone to shop, he came from behind, lifted me and landed me on the floor. He covered my mouth when I wanted to shout. When he was done, he threatened that if I told my mother or anyone, he would kill me. Then, he would be fingering my younger sister. He usually did it in the afternoon when most tenants were away.”