Herdsman rapes 54-year-old woman to death in Nigeria

A suspected herdsman, Laulo Isa, 20, who reportedly raped a 54-year-old woman, Mrs Mary Okereke, to death, said alcohol and anger pushed him into committing the crime.

The suspect stated this after he was paraded by the Ebonyi State Police Command, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, on Tuesday.

He allegedly raped Okereke to death in Ugwulangwu community, Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state, on December 28, 2019.

The suspect said a struggle ensued between him and Okereke after she insulted him for demanding sex.

According to him, it was during the struggle that he overpowered the woman and subsequently had forceful intercourse with her.

The suspect further added that he was not in his right frame of mind when he committed the act, saying, “I highly regret my actions.”

He said, ”I am Laulo Isa. I am from Nassarawa State. I came to work here in Ebonyi. I was seriously drunk and saw a woman in the night walking along the road alone. I approached her for sex and she started abusing me.

“We started abusing ourselves and I immediately pounced on her and she started struggling with me to free herself. I was seriously drunk at that time.

“I don’t know whether I was having sex with her but she was on the ground with me. I did not hit her with any object but (it) is like I had sex with her for one round. We were both on the ground when a man flashed a light on me and I ran away.

“I am not happy with what I did and I want to die. I just want to die. I want to die! I have never done this type of thing since God created me on this earth. I am begging for forgiveness.”

The PUNCH gathered that the victim was returning from the farm, before the suspected herdsman accosted her, dragged her into a nearby bush and raped her to death.

The State Commissioner of Police, Awotunde Awosola, while briefing journalists on the incident, said the suspect would be prosecuted for the crime.

He said, “On December 28, 2019, about 8 pm, one Laulo Isa, a herdsman, aged 20 years old, accosted and waylaid one 54-year-old, Mary Okereke, on Ufuezeraku Ugwulangwu Road in Ohaozara Local Government Area.

“There was a struggle between the two of them but he overpowered the woman and had carnal knowledge of her. Unfortunately, the woman died during the incident.”

The Police boss said his team, with the assistance of the youths in the community, combed the forests and farmlands in the area in search of the suspect.

He added, “Through the concerted efforts of my DPO in Ohaozara LGA, with the assistance of the youths in the community, they began a search for the suspect, who unfortunately left his cap and slippers in a bid to escape from that scene.

“So, with the assistance from two other Fulani guys, we were able to identify him through that cap and slippers and he was subsequently arrested and he is now with us and he is going to face the full weight of the law.”

The Police Commissioner noted that the deceased had been deposited at the hospital for autopsy.