The popular Maxim which says everyday for the thief but one day for the owner of the house came to play yesterday in Auchi, the Administrative Headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area as an alleged serial rapist, Solomon met his Waterloo while raping a middle aged woman.
It is no longer secret that the rate of criminal activities that include rape in Edo State has become a worrisome development for the state government and the people of the state.
Hardly a day without hearing the issue of rape and other heinous crime in the state and at some point, it was as if the security operatives in the country were overpowered by the nefarious activities of these evil machinations.
One of the cases in point was the gruesome murder of one Vivian Ogbu, a Catholic faithful who was dastardly murdered by her assailants for refusing to be raped
It would be recalled that on Sunday, November 15th, 2009, while many Nigerians stayed glued to their television sets watching the football match between Nigeria and Switzerland, a three-man robbery gang reportedly invaded Vivian Ogu’s home, dispossessed everyone of valuables, injuring some in the process and forcefully taking Vivian and her elder sister to the bush close by.
The mission of the men of the underworld was not to abduct her but to have carnal knowledge of the child who was said to be a crusader for morality.
As she refused the threat and demand of the bandits to abuse her sexually, the trigger happy hoodlums pumped hot bullets into her stomach and fled. Vivian died before help could come.
By coincidence, Vivian was said to have on that November 15, 2009 morning, in a Bible study, talked about St Maria Gorreti and admonished her study mates to emulate Gorreti and never succumb to any form of immorality.
The 14-year-old was said to have preferred to keep her dignity by losing her life, rather than being defiled in the bush near her family home in Evboriaria, off Sapele Road Benin-City that fateful day.
While the people of Edo State were yet to recover from the hangover of the killing of Vivian Ogu, seven years after, another notorious and serial rapist, one Johnson Abraham was not lucky this time around as he reportedly met his waterloo while attempting to rape one Miss. Braimah Wenianrtu in Auchi.
It was scooped that the late Johnson Abraham has been terrorising the residents of Auchi and environs with his raping and robbery escapades never knew that the incident which occurred on March 20th, 2016 along Shagadi Street, Iyakpi in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.
According to multiple reports, the alleged serial rapist attacked Miss Wenianrtu in deep sleep and attempted to abuse her sexually by forcing himself on Wenianrtu, a development that made her cry aloud and attracted the attention of her nephew, Mr. Omosah Shafiri.
According to sources, angered by the alleged rape attempt, Omosah was said to have hit the suspect a wooden pestle on his head and reportedly bled to death, while Omosah reportedly fled the scene for unknown location.
While the killing of the suspected hoodlums was greeted with excitement and seigh of relief, however, the people were shocked when Omosah Shafiri was declared wanted by security operatives in connection with the killing of the suspected serial rapist.
But, should Omosah had allowed the rapist to have his way or he acted in the defence of his aunt? These are some of the questions begging for answers as the people frowned at the actions of security operatives towards Omosah Shafiri.
In the above connection therefore, there is need for the government to enact a stiffer penalty for rape offenders in order to deter others from indulging in the act because as it stands, offenders many at times go scott free without any hindrance from the police.
