‘I was on a revenge mission’

By Evelyn Usman
A 29-year-old jobless man, Eme Friday, who allegedly raped the corpse of a 19-year-old girl he gagged to death in Epe area of Lagos State has finally opened up on why he committed the offence.

Eme who is presently being interrogated by detectives at the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, Panti, Lagos told Crime Alert exclusively that he gagged her to stop her from shouting but the helpless girl tried all she could to save herself by even biting his fingers until her strength failed her. This, he continued,  resulted in her passing out after which he carried out the act unperturbed.

Ambush for Blessing

In what looked like a planned action, he revealed how he had laid ambush for Blessing in the bush for two hours and struck when he sighted her with a bowl, with which she brought cassava from the farm, a means that has been sustaining her family for years.

*Eme Friday

Surprisingly, the suspect was discovered to be an in-law to Mr. Long John said to be married to the late Blessing’s elder sister, a marriage that, however, hit the rocks nine years later.

Narrating how he raped and eventually murdered Blessing, Eme said, sounding remorseful: “I had told her several times that I wanted her to be my lover but she refused. So, on March 10, 2012, I slept in their house because I always frequented there. And in the evening, I approached her again wanting to sleep with her, but she raised an alarm which attracted her parents.

And before them, she told me to leave their house, not caring where I would sleep that night. I left for the farm which was just a stone throw from the hut they lived. I was embarrassed by her behaviour because I expected her to tell me off politely, after all she was not better off than I am. I guess she refused me because I do not have money. I only attended primary school and left my state for Lagos last August in search of greener pasture.

How I strangled her to death: So the next day, a Sunday, I saw her with a  bowl coming to the farm. I stopped her on the way and told her I would like to have carnal knowledge of her which she bluntly refused.

I felt bad and recalling the embarrassment of the previous night, I grabbed her. But I realized she was very strong, as she tried to put up resistance. She said I should leave her alone so that we would not create a scene. But I took a wood I saw and hit her on the head.  I then held her in the throat and realised she was chocking. At that point, she fell down and I had my way.”

Asked if he noticed that Blessing was dead at that point, he replied, “yes, I noticed she was still but I thought it was because of my firm grip on her he neck. I had her twice. I honestly loved her and wanted to marry her.”

On noticing the magnitude of his deed,  Eme said  he remained in the bush for four days, apparently to avoid people from seeing him  around and attribute Blessing’s death to him.

But unknown to him, other farmers who were on their way home, sighted him and the deceased . A disclosure they made when Blessing was found dead.

Asked if he had any regret, he looked at this writer, trying with difficulty to say yes. After some interminable moments, he said: “I regretted that she died. I have been praying to God to forgive me since I have been here. I also thank God I did not die when I attempted to leave my hiding place the third day, for her people had mobilized themselves by combing the bush for me. When they sighted me, I ran for dear life because they were armed with cutlasses.

After four days, I went to one of my brothers who handed me over to the police.”

Victim’s parents speak: Meanwhile, back in their hut, apprehension had set in for Mr Long-John and his wife, after waiting for hours without the sight of Blessing or the cassava she was sent to go and get. Mr Long-John decided to go and find out the cause of the delay only to be greeted with the unexpected sight of his daughter in the bush path, stone dead, with Eme still on her.

Hear him: “When it was 7pm, I decided to go and look for her because they were supposed to leave for Epe town that day, in preparation for school the next day. They usually come on Fridays to this hut where we farm and leave every Friday.

“But what caught my attention first, was the way the bush path was scattered as if animals had fought there. I called out to my daughter Blessing but there was no response. Then, to my shock, I saw Eme on my daughter and I shouted.

But I could not lay my hand on him because he immediately took to his heels and I could not run at the same pace with him. I went to call one of my sons who rushed down where we still found my daughter lying still. I shook her, called out her name but there was dead silence.”

Hurried burial because of lack of funds: Policemen from Epe were contacted, following which the remains of Blessing was removed and deposited at the Epe general hospital mortuary. But Mr Longman’s inability to meet up with the mortuary bills prompted the bereaved father to bury her daughter.

He said: “When we got to the mortuary, I was told to pay the sum of N12,000 that very day and thereafter will be paying the sum of N1000 per day. But I did not have that amount of money.  “Again, I was told that I would have to pay for the autopsy report. After much thought, I applied for the release of my daughter’s corpse for burial because I do not have that amount of money to pay for the expenses.”

However, this is not the first time the 65-year-old farmer is witnessing the death of a child. A similar incident, as gathered, occurred in 1995 when he lost his second child, Gift. But the impact of  death of Blessing was felt more, not just because of the fact that she was the last child but she was described as a promising child.

“Ah!”, Mr Monday exclaimed. “See what this boy has done to me. He has snatched my precious daughter away from me. Blessing was the only child who desired to further her education to university level. Her siblings are all into skilled jobs.

“All through her years in school, she took first and second position. She was very intelligent and was a promising child. She had always promised me she would work hard and end our years of sufferings when she started working. In fact, she would always beg me and her mother to live long for her to keep her promise,” he said, trying hard not to betray his emotion.

But little did Blessing  realized she would never live to fulfill her dream of paying her parents the dividends of parenthood. The suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba from where he would be charged to court.