Tricyclist Arrested Over Robbing, Raping Female Passenger

A 24-year-old commercial tricyclist, Mr Akpan Confidence, has been nabbed by the police in the Edo State capital of Benin City for allegedly using his tricycle to trap, rob and rape a female passenger.

Akpan had on July 23 along Sapele road reportedly violated the young lady, an undergraduate of one of the tertiary institutions in the state who hired him to uptown Ugbor road at about 8 pm was arrested on Monday, August 9.

Halfway into the journey, Akpan was said to have diverted the tricycle to a lonely road, on the ground that the route he took was not motorable, only to bring out a cutlass and threatened to slaughter his frightened passenger and have her buried on the spot unless she agreed to sleep with him.

In the ensuing struggle, the young girl who initially resisted the violent sexual overtures of the rapist was robbed of her cash and iPhone after he overpowered and dragged the helpless victim to an uncompleted building where he slept with her before fleeing into the night.

The victim who refused to disclose her identity wailed: “I called the Keke NAPEP man to carry me to where I could get a taxi to Sapele Road.

“We agreed and I got in only for him to suddenly brandish a shining cutlass, threatening to kill me if I refused to sleep with him.

“I have no choice but to surrender quickly. He forcefully slept with me in an uncompleted building right in the middle of a bush.

“I begged him but he refused to let go of me. He later left me in the bush after sleeping with me and collected the little money I had.”

The suspect was arrested in Benin City, two weeks after he allegedly committed the crime.

The tricyclist said: “I regret my action. I am ashamed. I don’t really know what came over me. I can’t explain why I raped and robbed her.”

Edo State Police spokesman, Mr Bello Kontongs, who confirmed the incident, said the suspect was arrested through high technical intelligence.

Kontongs, a superintendent of police assured that the police will carry out a thorough investigation to ascertain whether the suspect has in the past been involved in the attack, robbery and raping of innocent persons in the state.