I was kept in dungeon for 4 months, I was raped daily; other gory tales of 108 rescued from ‘rehabilitation’ centre in Kwara

No less than 108 persons were on Thursday rescued from an illegal rehabilitation center in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

One of the victims, a female, said she was raped daily while another victim, a male said he was kept in a dungeon with many others for four months.

Many of the 108 victims, who were subjected to different kinds of torture and dehumanized, had one pathetic story in common; that they were brought to the ‘evil’ centre by their own parents.

They claimed that their parents even paid huge sums of money, ranging from N100,000 to N200,000 for them to be kept in the horrible centre.

The female victim, who claimed she was raped daily, Olaide Arikewuyo, explained that she had spent five years in the centre. She accused an uncle of the owner of the center of sexually abusing her every night, seven times a week.

She told newsmen, “I am living with the owner of the centre in their apartment and the uncle used to have carnal knowledge of me every night. Since I have nobody to turn to and it is not easy to escape from there, I have been abused by five men. In the process, I got impregnated and had three abortions. I just thank God that the police came to my rescue.”

The victim, who said he was kept in a dungeon, Abdulazeez Korede by name, narrating his ordeal said, “My parents brought me there because I am a drug addict and they want to stop me from taking hard drug. But to my surprise I was chained and beaten up mercilessly and taken under ground where other guys like me were kept when my parents left. I was kept in a dungeon for four months where there was no sunlight or window and no proper food.”

His story was similar to many of the other victims.

On how the supposed rehabilitation centre identified as Sumuratu Mumeen Arabic Centre, located at Gaa-Odota Area in Ilorin, was uncovered, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun explained that the command acted on an intelligence surveillance and raided the centre where 103 males and five females were discovered unlawfully detained in the centre.

He said, “Some of the victims were observed to have some forms of infections and diseases and were not treated while some others were mentally ill. Some of them during interview claim they were brought to the centre by their parents.”

According to the state police commissioner, investigation into the matter was ongoing. He added that the police command would take care of the victims until their parents come to pick them.

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Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari recently directed the police and other law enforcement agencies to identify and flush out all illegal rehabilitation centres across the country.

Buhari’s directive came after police in Kaduna raided illegal rehabilitation centres in Kaduna State, including the one, where no less than 147 victims with some of them in chains, were rescued.

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