Fatherless girl, 16, jailed for murder committed by policemen | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Saturday 23 June 2012

Fatherless girl, 16, jailed for murder committed by policemen

When Rukayat Job was 13, she met Jackson in her mother’s beer parlour in 2009. She thought luck had smiled on her when he asked her to be his lover. For awhile, they enjoyed their relationship until tragedy suddenly struck.


Job was arrested for the murder of a man in the Oyingbo area of Lagos. The victim was allegedly shot accidentally as policemen tried to quell a fight between Jackson, then Job’s ex boyfriend and some friends of her current lover, Joshua.

Now Job, 16, who is a Ghanaian by birth, is marking time at the female wing of the Kirikiri Prison for an offence she did not commit.

The teenager claims the murder took place in her absence. Speaking alternately in English and then Yoruba, when words failed her, she recounts the circumstances surrounding her relationship with Jackson.
She says, “I started dating Jackson in 2009. At the time, my mum sold beer under the bridge at Costain and I always assisted her. I couldn’t attend school because we had no money and my father was dead.
“I met Jackson in my mother’s beer parlour. He occasionally came to buy beer there and was very nice to me. He then invited me to Ilaje Street in Oyingbo, where he lived, and offered me a nice accommodation.
“I didn’t tell my mother when I left with Jackson for Ilaje. We were poor and I wanted a better life. He gave me a nice room and took care of me. I knew he built houses and sold land to people. After a while, his wife started to threaten me. I didn’t even know he was married and lived with his family at Ilaje. This woman kept sending messages to me to leave her husband. After sometime, my neighbours advised me to end my relationship with Jackson for my own safety.”

Truly scared for her life, Job ended her relationship with Jackson, who was not pleased with her decision. The enraged lover took back the accommodation he had provided for Job and threw her out. A few weeks after her relationship with Jackson ended, Job began another relationship with a young man named Joshua. The latter lived within the same community.

Job moved in with Joshua. Jackson learnt that she was dating someone else and he did not take kindly to the news.
“One day, Joshua and I went to attend a naming ceremony in the area. While we were there, Jackson walked in and started a fight with Joshua. He tore Joshua’s clothes. It was the intervention of the other guests that eventually ended the fight. Joshua and I left the party immediately. Instead of going back to Joshua’s house, we went to his friend’s house to spend the night,” Job recalls.

Unknown to the lovers, Jackson allegedly went in search of Joshua in his mother’s home in company with five members of the Oodua Peoples Congress. Although Jackson did not tell her why he had visited, Joshua’s mother told him that her son was not at home and she had no idea where he was. Undeterred, he left for the child naming ceremony, which was still in full swing and had some of Joshua’s friends in attendance.
Jackson started another fight, this time with Joshua’s friends and with the active support of the members of the OPC.

Job says, “While we were in the residence of his friend, Joshua got a phone call. He was informed that Jackson had started a fight with some of his friends in his absence and the OPC men he brought were shooting indiscriminately, and that some of the neighbours had called the police.

“Unfortunately, the policemen began to shoot as soon as they arrived at the scene. As a result, one of the OPC men was killed and everyone was blaming me as the cause of the death.

“I was so scared after the call that I fled to Badagry to stay with some members of my family there. I had stayed a week before I got another call from a friend that I should return to Ilaje, that nobody was looking for me. Although I left Badagry, I didn’t go back to Ilaje. I went to Surulere and stayed with a friend. I tried Joshua’s phone number without success and eventually called his sister Angela to ask after him.

“It was after Angela gave Joshua my phone number that he called me. My friend would not let Joshua spend the night. So, we had to leave for Orile where we stayed with one of his friends.”

The next morning after an urgent phone call that claimed Joshua’s mother’s home at Ilaje was on fire, the couple hurriedly left for Ilaje. Unfortunately for Job, the commercial motorcycle that she boarded was operated by an errand boy of a well known hoodlum in Ilaje community. Instead of taking her to her lover’s home, the okada operator took her straight to the hoodlum’s house, where she was handed over to the Iponri Police Division.

“I spent a week at the Iponri Police Station before I was taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department at Panti. I spent one month and three weeks there before I was taken to court. I told the Investigating Police Officer that I was 13, but the man wrote 18 years as my age. Even when I was arraigned at the Yaba Magistrate’s Court, the IPO shouted at me in court and asked me if I wasn’t 18 years old. I didn’t give any reply because I was scared. After that, I was brought to the Kirikiri Prison.”

CRIME DIGEST
investigations showed that Job was arraigned for murder at the Yaba Magistrate’s Court IV on May 11, 2009 alongside other adults.

When contacted by our correspondent, human rights activist and founder of the Stephen and Solomon Foundation, a non-governmental organisation which offers free legal services for the indigent, Aigbonosimuan Giwa-Amu said, “We will take up Job’s case. Remanding a minor in an adult prison facility shows a lack of understanding of the law, either by the police or the prosecuting authority. There is nothing wrong with a magistrate, who reasonably suspects the age of a defendant on a charge sheet, asking the defendant her true age. You watch the demeanour of the defendant as you ask to determine the truth.

“However, more often than not, some magistrates see their duties at arraignments as mere formalities or just administrative. Where the facts of the case file shows that no offences have been disclosed, there is nothing more honourable than declaring that the defendant has no case to answer.

“Our prisons have been turned to dumpsites for frivolous offences by the police and the Directorate for Public Prosecution, which should be able, under two weeks, to produce their legal advice. Criminal prosecution should not be an act of persecution; it should be construed as the act of bringing a defendant to justice.”

Culled from Punch

39 comments:

Adaorah said...

Did that other ode commentator in spot the difference read this post before chiding you about making fun of the NPF? Abeg they should release the girl. It's only God that will punish them. The judiciary too should tk kr cuz they are starting to look very stupid.

Anonymous said...

Linda u sure know how to get pity from people....hiss

LIGHTHOUSE FASHION said...

children of nowadays.. this girl is just too young for something like this!! haba!!! she claims she's 13 and she has alredy slept with a married man.. dis is so not right!!
anyways she's not responsible for any of this.. she should be released

Anonymous said...

Judiciary system is a joke n a sorry 1! Wtf! Na wa o!

Anonymous said...

when you write fatherless does it make her less guilty???is it to get sympathy linda?? please give us the raw facts about the case and not sentiments ... thank you my dear ...as you post my comments...

Anonymous said...

parent be responsible


In this case I wil say it as it is.
1) this girl is too small to start having sex at 13, children of non aday are just too expose to sex
2) if you ask the same girl to do small job, or staying with someone and making money, I am sure she would refuse, we had a housegirl that stayed with us, I and the guy did GCE together, she was able to further her education
3) we should wake up as parent and leaders of 2mro, while on earth did u hav a child u cannot care for, public school maybe ok.
) some parent used their early morning time to play, they dont worth to be parent
5)my mother is not educated but she made sure we all went to schoo, she sells kola, used news paper, moimoi wrapper and all sort, we were not rich growing up, but I cannot recall when she was unable to avoid our food. she knows how to make okro and dry pepper with snake fish delicious, we will eat and get satisfied.
7) I beg parent to be responsible and not to be lazy in taking care of their children, if u cant have 1 or 2.
8) I never knew what sex was called at 13.
9) the way young girls go abt following men this day is dangerous and they end up getting themselves into trouble.

Anonymous said...

@jeana stop judging her,not evryone is oppurtuned.do u knw wat it means to be poor n illiterate?

Anonymous said...

Ghetto story.

Anonymous said...

Why is this 13 year old girl with an adult in the first place!? married one for that matter! You don't do shit like that in America, his ass would have been in jail! And now look what this poor girl has brought upon herself. The whole judiciary system in Nigeria is pointless, and they are all senseless!

ASA said...

I don't know if I should cry or start cursing the Nigerian system. These monkeys don't even think if their daughters were in this girl's shoes. On what ground she was sentenced for committing murder?
May God punish the people that arranged for this poor girl's suffering.

@lizzykoko said...

Na condition make crayfish bend.the poor girl was in such poverty that she opted for the nearest exit out of her poverty.why is anyone not looking 4 the married man who truely caused all this...double standardizm.BBB6

Anonymous said...

Where was her boy friend when she was errornously charged and convicted? Is a shame that some men do not understand the ABC of love

Anonymous said...

pls where are all the policemen and lovers in all this? walking around free? how does dating a guy translate to being a killer? especially as ahe was not there? whats wrong with these lowlife men? God im weeping

Ulom said...

Abeg diz kian tory dey tire person.* concentrating on my E! News joor*

Anonymous said...

Pls tellme is there anything that is working alright in this country

Anonymous said...

@12:42pm..yea rit..she claims 13 αϞ∂ she has been sleeping arnd..shio..bt well sha..she dey shd relaease her.. αϞ∂ na cos she sef dey follow man up αϞ∂ down..make she dey assist her mum.most of her age mate are in d same conditn..bt still dey are good girls

Anonymous said...

@ jeana,I think the Js need to be asked what they are doing with an under aged girl not the other round. bcos she enticed with money.
As for naija judiciary and police, they can not stop to amaze me.

Anonymous said...

QF
Wn it comes to cases of helpless pple lyk ds,dey sure hw to take judgement hw abt our big dt r looting moni everyday,huh?

47vids.com said...

so whats the girl real age, is she 13 or 16? anyways i applaud the activist for taking the case on. We need more of them to get innocent Nigerians out of those jails. We have laws but no order in Nigeria. When I become successful I will do a lot for that country. 47vids.com going political heehee

Anonymous said...

she s 2 young 2 be in jail at all,n wr ws her mum wn she ws doin al the dating? At dt age

Anonymous said...

She might have her faults but if she did not pull the trigger, they should release her immediately & pay for punitive damage, for locking her up on trumped up charges.

moti said...

I give up!. Nothing is working in this country.

IAmhairs said...

dear....pls kip up with the good work......may God repay you...please keep us posted on ...cuz u knw dats the only way we could contribute.....takia

Anonymous said...

My question is, her mum's name didn't even pop up in all this...like a 13year old girl is left to face life herself without anyone leading her or telling her which part to go...its totally wrong if a 13year old is left to face all these alone. Parents should learn to be more responsible no matter what the situation is abeg!...

Anonymous said...

Justice ooh Justice, I call unto thee, Justice where is thy face.

Anonymous said...

Where did they say she slept wiv the married man? :s over sabi

masterplan said...

Stil regretin why am a citizen of dis fuckin coun3. Shio kelebe pue. Proudly 9ja my foot.

Anonymous said...

Dear check ur tenses!! Ur grammar is extremely terrible n makes ur nice n sensible comment very difficult 2 read through.. Thank u

Ikenna Uchendu said...

This is sad.... She's in prison 4 nothing
Visit 321naija.blogspot.com to watch download olamide's new video and download other tracks and entertainment updates.

Anonymous said...

@Anon June 23 2012 1:25pm-- u daft punk. If u had half a brain, you'd have read that this piece was culled from Punch.

Anonymous said...

@Anon June 23, 2012 1:28-- Are u sure u went to school? Ur entire write up from top to bottom, doesn't have one correct sentence! SMH

Anonymous said...

God has a way of punishing people. Imagine at 13 she ate d forbiden fruit and wit A MARRIED MAN den anoda guy....at 13 oh.....hmmm....
Anyway ds is God's way of telln d gurl to use chain n padlock n lock up her two BROOMSTICK legs.
But on d oda note abeg Naija police shud have mercy n do justice to ds case.
**chynell**

Anonymous said...

Pls @anon 10;29pm; wat do u want d mother to do....a child who could reason sleeping in a guy's house is beyond control abeg.

Anonymous said...

Smh for dis country. May God punish d man dat cause all dis wahala buh wait oh 13yrs e too small nah to hv a bf not to talk of hving sex wit a married man

Anonymous said...

D totalty of d nation is in a HARAM state nd dts why notn is workn well.why shld a girl b forcd into givn a false declaratn of her name is dt justice?,dts a clear evidence dat d verdict is erroneous and unfounded though she hs her own side 2 b faultd.GOD deliver us frm dis HARAM govt.

Anonymous said...

Al ds dosnt rili mata...who wl take rytful action 2ds is wot rili matas

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm,@ 13 u r jumping from one man to another staying with men. Anyway may God deliver u.

Anonymous said...

dunno wat dis world is turning into....a 13 yr old in prison???? na wao!

Anonymous said...

@anon 11:22PM, must they spell it out 4 u to understand that she slept wit d married man n d other bf, hence d reason 4 d fight n accusatns. Ode

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