Police have arrested a man for assaulting a receptionist in a toilet at the Mutab Hotel and Suites on Abeokuta Street in the state’s Ebute Metta area.
WithinNigeria reported that the receptionist, who is only 19 years old, was awakened at midnight by one of the lodgers who requested a towel.
The victim left the reception area, went to the hotel’s backyard to get a towel, and was on her way to assist the guest when she felt the need to ease herself.
According to the victim’s original statement to PUNCH, she went to the backyard general toilet to urinate when Fuad approached her inside the toilet.
“He wore only his underpants when he blocked me inside the toilet. I saw a bottle with him and he said if I refused to have sex with him, he would use the bottle to kill me. He raped me inside the toilet and after he was done, he left me there. The incident happened between 12 midnight and 1 am on Saturday when everybody was asleep.
“I was also asleep until one of our customers woke me up and said that he needed a towel. I was the one who attended to him (Fuad) when he came with his girlfriend to lodge in our hotel. He paid N5,000 for the room. He must have seen me when I went to pick the towel as he left his girlfriend inside the room, blocked me inside the toilet, and raped me there.
“I reported the incident to my manager, Mr. Ali, who raised the alarm in the morning. Mr. Ali and my colleagues went to Fuad’s room, apprehended him and it was at that point that his girlfriend knew what he did. My manager and colleagues saw the bottle Fuad used to threaten me inside the toilet.”
Mutairu Oke, the hotel’s owner, said the suspect had been handed over to the police and that the receptionist had been taken to the hospital for treatment.
“Immediately I was informed in the morning, I instructed my workers to apprehend him. I rushed down to the hotel and took him to the Denton Police Station. Fuad is currently detained there.
“We have taken our receptionist to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja, where it was confirmed that she was raped. They gave her some medications and told her to return to the hospital on Monday for further tests.”
Ishola Agbodemu, the Chief Security Officer for the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, condemned the incident and said Fuad was known for causing trouble in the area.
“Despite our efforts to reduce crime in the area, it is surprising that someone who has a wife at home raped a receptionist in the same hotel he lodged with his girlfriend.
“People know the boy (Fuad) in the neighborhood; his friends have been trying to intimidate the girl from speaking out.”
CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, the state police public relations officer, confirmed the incident, saying:
“The suspect has been arrested. The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has directed the gender unit of the command to take over the case for further investigation.”
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