Five university undergraduates were on Monday,  re-arraigned by the Lagos State Directorates of Public Prosecution (DPP) for allegedly gang-raping a 17-year-old student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The defendants – four undergraduate students of UNILAG and a student of Babcock University were re-arraigned before a Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, Ikeja, Lagos.

They are – Moboluwaji Omowole (19), Chuka Chukwu (19), Peace Nwakanma (19), James Aguedu (20) and Josephine Osemeka (20).

The students were first arraigned on February 26, 2019, by the DPP and plead not guilty to a three-count charge of child defilement and permitting defilement of a child in premises.

They were re-arraigned on June 27, 2019, on a fresh five-count charge of defilement of a child, permitting defilement of a child, procuration and sexual assault.

On Monday, they were re-arraigned on an amended six-count charge of defilement of a child, permitting defilement of a child, procuration and sexual assault.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following their re-arraignment, the victim of the gang-rape was cross-examined by the counsel to Osemaka, Mr. Ben Edechime.

During the cross-examination, the victim told the court that she had never met Osemeka prior to the day she was allegedly gang-raped by the defendants at High-Rise, a staff quarters at UNILAG.

The victim, however, said she was aware that High-Rise was a public place.

• READ ALSO: Rape: 21-year sentence of Unilag ex-lecturer not stiff enough — FIDA

She said: “I saw her (Osemeka) when I first entered into the room with Yinka and also after everyone involved had their turn and come back inside.

“She was outside with the other rapists, and when everyone came inside, she was there when they were molesting me. I was gang-raped by about six to eight people.”

The victim said after the alleged gang-rape, she felt used, was scared, confused and did not know what to do.

“There was no one else in the area where I was abused. My clothes were not torn while I was being raped because I was being held down and I did not struggle enough for them to tear my clothes.

“I did not know what to do after it had happened and I did not report the incident because they had threatened me with a video.

“The rape occurred only in two different rooms at High-Rise and at Chuka’s (second defendant’s) house. An attempt was also made at a place I know as the waterfront.

“I put up a struggle during the first incident but on other subsequent times, I did not put up a struggle because of the video,” she added. (NAN)

Vanguard