Phillip Oyibo Awani, a former youth leader in Okere, a community in Warri, Delta State, has asked a 14-year-old to swear in his shrine to prove his innocence after her family identified him as her rapist. A relative, who only wanted FIJ to identify her as Amanda, said that Oyibo had threatened the victim and she had to go into hiding because of the threats he made. Amanda told FIJ that Oyibo is in his 50s.....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
“He has used the police to threaten her. He also said that he was ready to take any step, whether physical or spiritual, against her.
At some point, he asked her to come and swear at his shrine, but her grandmother insisted she would not swear in his shrine and asked him to come to Obodo instead, but he always said he did not have the time,” Amanda told FIJ in August.
Narrating the series of events that led up to the teenager’s abuse, Amanda told FIJ that the victim gave her friend some money to keep in August and she went to her friend’s house to get the money.
On getting there, her friend was not home. Since she knew where her friend kept the money, she went there to take it.
When her friend’s mother got home, she accused her of stealing her money. She reported to the chairman of the community, who ordered some youths to flog her. She had to run to Inorin to save herself,” said Amanda.
They went to bring her back to the community and when they returned, it was night. So, the chairman ordered her to be locked up in a cell. It wasn’t an actual cell but a town hall and he had a furnished apartment close to it.
She added that Oyibo went to the town hall later that night and asked the 14-year-old to follow him to his home.
He transferred her from the town hall to his room and told her that if she did not allow him to sleep with her, he would call youths to flog her and hand her over to the police. He also told her he would kill her if she told anybody, Amanda told FIJ.
FIJ also learnt that Oyibo and his brother had attempted to sweep the case under the carpet by pleading with the victim’s grandmother to settle it in-house.
Amanda also told FIJ that Oyibo also tried to make the victim recant her accusations against him and tell the community that he did not rape her.
The minor’s relatives had to take her out of town as a result of the threats from Oyibo. She has been in hiding since then.
FIJ called Bright Edafe, the Delta Police PRO, on August 22 but he did not respond.
FIJ found Oyibo on Facebook and sent him a message on Friday. He had not responded at press time.
