A prosecution witness, Insp Olamide Olayemi, said that the four dismissed soldiers charged with rape of seven commercial sex workers in Abuja, left their guard duty-post to commit the crime.
Olayemi stated this while giving evidence at an FCT High Court in Abuja on Wednesday where the dismissed soldiers, Nse Eywdip, 33; Ugwu Mathew, 23; Emezien Uzonna, 24, and Efosa Ikhomoregbe, 23 are being tried.
They were arraigned on a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy, rape, assault and armed robbery on Jan. 23, 2013.
Olayemi, while being led in evidence by the prosecutor, Adama Musa, told the court that on the day of the incidence, they were supposed to be on duty at the Airtel Mast in Wuse 2.
“The accused persons left their guard duty-post with their Hilux Van, armed with their official riffles. The accused persons arrested the victims and collected N104,000 from them which they shared among themselves,’’ he said.
The witness, who was also one of the investigating police officer, told the court that he took the statement of the fourth accused (Ikhomoregbe).
“The fourth accused told me that he got only N1,500 as his share from the amount they stole from their victims. He also told me that his colleague, Matthew, the second accused, had sexual intercourse with one of the victims with her consent. My team also visited the scene of crime located at the River Plate Garden Wuse 2,” he said.
Olayemi also told the court that he led the team of police officers who took the victims to the Wuse General Hospital, where they were examined by medical doctors and that a medical report was sent to the police.
He further told the court that at the end of their investigation, the police filed a case of criminal conspiracy, rape, assault and armed robbery against the four soldiers.
After listening to the testimony, the presiding judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, adjourned the case to Feb. 19 for continuation of hearing.
It will be recalled that the soldiers, who have already been dismissed from the Nigeria Army, were alleged to have committed the offence between Dec. 21 and Dec. 23, 2012 at about 9 p.m. at the River Plate Garden, in Wuse 2, Abuja.
The offence is punishable under sections 97(1) and 298 of the Penal Code and under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code