Two Unilag Students Arraigned For Attempted Rape

Two students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have appeared before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for attempting to rape their female colleague.

Ikedi Okpanlanedu, 21, and Samuel Idongesit, 20, are facing on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, attempted rape, assault, impersonation, and threatening violence.

Police Sgt. Modupe Olaluwoye, prosecuting the case, told the court that the undergraduates invited the course mate, who was a makeup artist, to a hotel room and attempted to rape her.

Olaluwoye said that the defendants committed the offenses at 4.40p.m. on April 1 at Peace Land Hotel, Folagoro, Lagos State.

Olaluwoye said that the defendants promised to introduce the makeup artiste to a person who needed her service.

She submitted that the defendants attempted to rape the lady on her arrival at the hotel room.

“My lord, they strangled her because she was calling for help. It was a hotel staff, Mr Ohaeri Godlove, who heard her screaming and called the hotel security.

“Okpanlanedu claimed to be army personnel, and threatened to stab her with a knife he was holding, if she would not co-operate with them.

“The knife was recovered from the crime scene, and we intend to tender it in evidence,” she said.

The alleged offences contravene Sections 411, 262, 170 (1), 380 and 56 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that attempted rape attracts 14 years’ imprisonment while impersonation is punishable with three years’ jail term.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail by Chief Magistrate Peter Ojo in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties each in like sum.