By Tom Moses

UYO—The Akwa Ibom State Police Command paraded members of a three-man gang that specialised in hypnotising and raping of women in the state.

Parading the suspects, James Etim, Utibe Archibong and Mberebong Peter at the state’s Police Headquarters, Ikot-Akpan Abia, Uyo, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Cordelia Nwawe, said the suspects were arrested on June 11.

She said: “This is what we consider a crime against humanity because when you are engaged in sex with another person without the person’s consent, if the person is underaged, it is defilement and if she is of age, it is rape.”

Vanguard gathered that the gang usually picked up victims by disguising themselves as commercial tricycle operators. One of the supposed passengers would speak in a foreign language, claiming to be a foreigner, who came to the country to sell goods.

He would then ask for help from other passengers to enable him sell the goods, promising to give them laptops and phones in return. Once the victim indicates interest, she would be taken to an unknown destination where the goods are supposed to have been stored.

They would then extort the unsuspecting victim and gang rape same.

Mberebong Peter, the driver of the tricycle, denied being a member of the gang but admitted to “only act as the driver that takes them around town to commit the crime and get my share of the money at the end of the operation.”

A victim narrates experience

One of their victims, a student of the University of Uyo, (names withheld) said: “When they asked me to go and bring money for cleansing and I told them I did not have any money, they said I should get to my hostel and bring to them anything like phones, laptops and jewelleries.

“They warned me not to tell anyone or I would die, knowing if I told someone, I would be advised not to go back.

“When I returned and could not get enough as they requested, they said they would have to cleanse me by having sex with me. I was already very scared. Two of them raped me.”

The police spokesman, Nwawe, advised members of the public, particularly ladies, to be careful while boarding any tricycle within the state, and assured that the command would not relax until the state was rid of criminal elements.