12th August, 2015
Henry Ojelu
The father of two of the victims of the Ejigbo pepper sodomy torture, Mr Freeman Agomo, on Wednesday narrated before an Ikeja High Court how his daughter, Juliana died.
Agomo made this revelation while testifying at the trial of 10 persons accused of torturing some market women at the Oba Morufu International Market in Ejigbo, Lagos, western Nigeria.
The defendants are being prosecuted before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Those standing trial are the market leader, Isiaka Waidi (61), Buhari Yusuf (22), Abdullahi Haruna (20) and Saheed Adisa (29).
Others are Lateef Tijani (37), Ahmed Adisa (65), Azeez Akinosun (36), Jimoh Busari (50), Adekunle Adenuga (38) and Oloruntoyin Dauda (46), the woman leader of the market.
The defendants are facing a 19-count charge bordering on conspiracy, attempted murder, sexual assault, maliciously administering poison, obtaining money by false pretense and deprivation of liberty.
The DPP led by Mrs Idowu Alakija, alleged that the defendants who are members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), had tortured Freeman’s wife Mrs Ajoke Agomo and their daughters Nike Salami and Juliana Agomo.
Agomo, a palm wine tapper, while being led in evidence by Alakija told the court that on the day of the torture, his wife came to meet him at his work place to inform him that their daughters were accused of stealing.
“My wife told me that Juliana and Nike were accused of stealing pepper and they had been taken away to be beaten and punished.
“She said we should go and rescue the girls and I wondered to myself what kind of pepper they stole that could warrant such punishment,” he said.
Agomo said that when he and Ajoke got to the scene of the torture, he was separated from his wife and she was taken to a separate area to be tortured.
“They tore my wife’s clothes and they started beating her.
“She was crying and I was ordered to come into the room where she was held.
“When I got there I realised that my wife and daughters were all naked,” Agomo said.
He said that Waidi, the market leader and first defendant, attempted to torture him.
Pointing to Waidi, Agomo said: “He brought out a cane to beat me but someone pleaded that I should be left alone because of my age.
“I helplessly watched as my wife and daughters were being tortured,” he said.
The witness alleged in his testimony that Dauda, one of the defendants and the woman leader of the market encouraged the torture of his wife.
“I was begging Dauda to have mercy but she was the one who ordered that my wife should be stripped naked.
“She never listened to my pleas,” Agomo said.
Agomo also told the packed court room about how he was asked to pay N150,000 to bail his
family.
“I was ordered by Waidi to bring N150,000 as bail. I had three friends with me who pleaded on my behalf and the bail was reduced to N50,000. I was told that if I didn’t come up with the money before 7p.m. my family will be killed.
“I and my friends were able to source for N20,000 for the bail of my family from mechanics in the area,” Agomo told the court.
A photocopy of the receipt of the N20,000 bail given to Agomo by Waidi was tendered as evidence to the court by the prosecution.
Agomo added that Adisa, one of the defendants, told his landlord that he and his family should be evicted.
“Our landlord came into our home at 10pm on the day of the torture and sent me and my family out of our apartment, rendering us homeless,” he said.
Agomo, finished his testimony by demanding justice from the government.
“The government should help me and my family get justice,” he said.
The case was adjourned till Oct. 14 and 15 for continuation of trial.