Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Detectives are now on the trail of a 32-year-old commercial cyclist, popularly called okada rider, Laolu Omogunwa, for allegedly rapping a pregnant woman identified as Sade Jawo at Ago Akingboye in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The 30-year-old pregnant mother reportedly hired the services of the suspect to carry her from Ajagba to the farm settlement on a bike to purchase kegs of palm oil.
Narrating her ordeal, the victim said Omogunwa lured her on the way into another route in the pretence that she would get palm oil cheaper in the area than where she intended going to.
According to her, the suspect drove her into a lonely bush where he suddenly stopped on the way,  dragged her into the bush, attempted strangled her, dispossessed her of her phone and the sum of N150,000 before rapping her until she became unconscious.
She added that Omogunwa almost raped her to death before he left her, thinking she was dead until she was revived by heavy rain after several hours.
When the family couldn’t see her, at the time she was expected back home, they had to organize a search party which later discovered her where she was struggling to crawl to the road.
She said it took her about 48 hours to regain consciousness after loosing the pregnancy as a result of excessive bleeding.
Speaking on the incident, the Ahaba of Ajagba, Oba Adesayo Ajibade said it is a taboo to have sex with a woman on bare ground in Ikale land.
According to the royal father, the consequence of such desecration of the custom of the town is poor yields and famine unless the offenders appease the gods of the land.
Equally, the monarch lamented that the raped woman who had lost her pregnancy might not survive any sickness without performing the rituals.