MICHAEL AKINOLA
Police operatives from the Lagos State Command have arrested an 18-year old Essien Udo Gideon and his accomplice, Ikechukwu Chinonso Prince, 23, for allegedly gang raping two ladies and robbing them of their phones with wooden gun in a hotel.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Oritshe Street, Balogun area of Ikeja, Lagos.
According to the Police, the suspects lured the victims for sex romp and took them to the hotel, where they raped and threatened them with violence by tying their mouths with cellotape and thereafter robbed them of their phones before they escaped.
The matter was reported to the Police at Ikeja Division. The operatives moved into action, eventually arrested the suspects and detained them at the station for interrogation over their alleged conduct against the victims.
After thorough interrogation, the Police found them culpable and charged them before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
COUNT I: “That you, Essien Udo Gideon ‘m’, Ikechukwu Chinonso Prince and others now at large, on the 14th day of July, 2025 at about 2300hrs at Oritshe Street, Balogun Ikeja Lagos, in the Ikeja Magisterial district, did conspire with others now at large to commit felony to wit /robbery and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.”
COUNT II:”That you, Essien Udo Gideon ‘m’, Ikechukwu Chinonso Prince and others now at large, on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did threaten one Mary Emmanuel ‘f age 23yrs old and one Lucy Daniel ‘f age 26yrs old compelling them to release their iPhone password and deactive the iCloud and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 296 and punishable under Section 297 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.”
COUNT III:”That you, Essien Udo Gideon ‘m’, Ikechukwu Chinonso Prince, m’ and others now at large, on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did rape one Mary ‘f age 23years old and one Lucy Daniel ‘f age 26years old with threat by pointing gun at them and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 260 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.”
COUNT VI:”That you, Essien Udo Gideon ‘m’, Ikechukwu Chinonso Prince ‘m’ and others now at large, on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did attempt to murder one Mary ‘f age 23yrs old and one Lucy ‘f age 26yrs old by sealing their mouths with cellotape and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 230 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”
COUNT V:”That you, Essien Udo Gideon ‘m’, Ikechukwu Chinonso Prince others now at large, on the same date, time and place in the said Magisterial District, did unlawfully rob one Mary and one Lucy by using a wooden item suspected to be gun and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 297 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”
However, the Court did not take their plea after the prosecutor, Mr. Lucky Ihiehie, moved a motion asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. M.O.Tanimola, ordered their remand in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP for legal advice.
The matter was adjourned for mention for the report of the DPP’s advice to be available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.