Deborah Jolaosho was in JSS2 when a
family friend took advantage of her vulnerability to rape her. Now
pregnant and abandoned by the alleged rapist.
 |
| Deborah. |
There was no sign of an impending
danger when Rachel Jolaosho sent her slightly mentally challenged
daughter, Deborah, to go and get a drum from a family friend’s house in
Meiran, a community along the border between Lagos and Ogun States. To
her, it was a routine errand to task her daughter’s understanding of her
world.
But danger was actually lurking because
Taju Adejumo, a friend of the Jolaoshos who was to give the drum to
Deborah, was not as virtuous as he seemed. He allegedly preyed on the
girl’s
mental weakness, taking her to a room in his house before tying
the 15-year-old girl’s hands and legs and raping her. He reportedly told
her not to tell anyone and that if she did, death would visit her in
seven days.
Deborah who is now seven months pregnant
showed signs of being pregnant and when her mother noticed changes in
her appearance and failing health, she queried her and realised that her
daughter had been abused by the alleged sex offender. Deborah says her
life has been sent on a path she did not prepare to tread.
“I’m going through pains. My back is
hurting. I can’t sleep well and I don’t have appetite for food. I don’t
have friends any longer and I rarely go out of the house. It feels as if
my world has come to an end. Every day, I blame myself for allowing
this to happen. Probably if I had fought him, I wouldn’t be pregnant.
I’ve brought shame to my family,” she says.
Her nightmare is also multiplied by the alleged constant verbal attack from Adejumo’s wife whenever they meet on the street.
“Any time I step out of our house,
Adejumo’s wife rains curses on me. She has said terrible things to me. I
try to move around the community so that I can ease my pains and take
time off my sorrow but Adejumo’s wife is always waiting for me, she
doesn’t allow me to go out again, I feel really bad,” Deborah says.
Adejumo, who accepted his crime against
the teenager, no longer wants to be associated with Deborah. The
Jolaosho’s say the alleged rapist has abandoned Deborah, a position that
is attested to by the victim. She says Adejumo treats her like filth.
“When I see him on the street now, he
walks past me without saying a word. He hasn’t even offered to pay for
my hospital bills. My parents have spent so much money on my antenatal
care but he simply walks away from his responsibility after raping and
impregnating me. Earlier, when my parents found out about the pregnancy
and confronted him, he made promises that he would pay for my hospital
bills and take care of the child after I give birth,” she states.
Deborah, who dreamt of becoming a nurse
before the incident, says her dreams had been put on hold. “I like
studying and I had a lot of dreams before I was raped. My focus has
always been to excel in school but Adejumo has robbed me of my joy as a
girl. I was a member of the Red Cross club in my school, Meiran
Community Junior High School, Lagos. I was also a member of the choir in
my church. But with my present position, I can’t take part in the
activities of these groups any longer. I feel bad each time I see my
friends playing, knowing that I cannot join them in the task. I don’t
know how they feel about me now.”
But Deborah has not given up on a better
future. She expresses determination to overcome her plight and move on
with life. She also has plans for her baby.
“I’m determined to complete my studies.
It may not be easy, but I will try my best. I hope to give my child the
best in life. I can’t allow the baby to suffer,” she says.
She is not alone in her grief; the
family have been grossly upset by Adejumo’s act. Deborah’s mother says
the incident casts shadows on her ability as a mother.
She says, “I cried for hours the day I
found out my daughter was raped. And to compound the problem, the man
who did it was a friend of the family, I respected him before he showed
the other side of himself. Sometimes I confided in him about some
personal issues. I never thought he could do such a terrible thing.
“I cry each time I look at my daughter
now. I can imagine the pain she is facing. No mother would ever wish
this sort of life for her 15-year-old daughter. She is still young. Her
body isn’t prepared for this. She doesn’t eat much. I’m always begging
her to eat. This is not the type of life I dreamt for my daughter.”
When asked what she wanted from the
alleged rapist, Deborah’s mother answers, “Adejumo has to pay us back
the total money we have spent on Deborah’s antenatal. He must take
responsibility for his action. He must also take care of my child’s
education.”
Although, Adejumo, who claimed to have
been embarrassed by his action, promised the Jolaosho family that he
would take of Deborah, but according to the family, Adejumo has since
shied away from his responsibility.
Deborah’s father, Peter, told our
correspondent that Adejumo had shown no concern for his daughter’s
condition and that after he paid for the scan which confirmed his
daughter’s four-month pregnancy, Adejumo had not offered any form of
support.
“The night Adejumo was released from the police cell; he threw a party in his house, celebrating being a free man again.
“Adejumo was a close friend. I took him
like a brother. I have known him for five years. I wonder why he would
do this to me. He has ruined my daughter’s life. Since December, he
hasn’t offered to pay for my daughter’s hospital bills. He shows no
concern about her health in any way,” he says.
Beyond Deborah’s pregnancy, there is
fear of attack on the family. Jolaosho says when his family reported the
matter to the police, the community criticised him for going too far.
“The whole community is now against my
family. They queried us for taking the matter to the police. They said
we should have covered up for Adejumo. The nurse who was treating my
daughter all of a sudden refused to treat her again. We found out that
members of the community were the ones that inspired her to quit. I’m
always worried whenever my daughter goes out because these people can
harm her. I can’t even go to my work place. On several occasions, I’ve
had series of accidents,” he states.
When SUNDAY PUNCH contacted Adejumo, he claimed that the Jolaoshos lied against him.
“I have being fulfilling my
responsibility. On several occasions, I’ve offered the family money but
they refused to collect the money. On January 4, I offered the family
N1, 000 but they did not collect it. And on January 22, I gave the
father some money but he turned down my offer. I don’t know what they
want me to do. I have tried my best,” he said.
Meanwhile, the police have taken the matter to the Ikeja High Court, Lagos, and hearing will start on Monday.
-Punch
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