A 41-year-old mother of four, Mrs Mary Thomas, has been accused of raping a 15-year-old boy in Jos, Plateau state.
Thomas a resident of Mado Village, Tudun Wada of Jos North, was allegedly caught red handed by the victim’s mother on the said date.
Mother of the victim, Mrs Fidelia Iyoke, who wept uncontrollably in her home said the incident which happened on Nov. 20, has left her broken and her family in pains.
“I own a provision store in front of the house and on that day at about 9pm, there was a knock at the door so i asked my son to check who it was.
“He returned to say it was our neighbour who wanted to buy fire wood, so i gave him the keys to open the shop and sell it to her.
“I became worried when he didn’t return after about 30 minutes so I decided to check, on going out i heard noises so i tip toed to find out.
“Just at the back of my shop I saw a woman bent over while my son engaged in sexual acts with her, I nearly collapsed, luckily my neighbour was passing so she helped me.
“I was further shocked to discover the woman in question was my neighbour of 18 years, immediately I sighted them she started screaming that I wanted to disgrace her, my son was too shocked to even pull his trousers up.
“I don’t know what I have done to this woman to do this to me, we have never quarreled, she buys things from me and we gave birth to our sons months apart in 2005.
“We exchanged words that night and I told her God will judge her for defiling my son, unfortunately just few days later her son who is also 15 years who had been sick for some weeks died.
“After her son’s death, I felt pity for her and wanted to visit her but I heard neighbours saying she was accusing me of using witchcraft to kill her son.
“I have left everything for God to judge, I don’t want any police case with her, I have forgiven her for what she did to my son, but I wished I never saw what I saw, that picture will never leave my mind, my little son has been damaged,” she said.
Speaking to the victim, he said, the accused lured him to her bed when he went to collect maize meant for his mum from her, stating that he could not count the number of times it happened.
“Sometime this year my mother sent me to collect some maize which she bought from her and on reaching there, she sent her children on an errand and lured me to bed.
“She warned me not to tell anyone about what happened, she would always invite me to her house when her husband and children were not around.
“On two occasions I took my mother’s money from the shop to give her, after then, she will always encourage me to give her more money and foodstuff from the shop.
“She came that night in the guise that she wanted to buy firewood but dragged me to the back of our shop but we were caught by my mother,” he explained.
However, Mrs Thomas, the alleged molester, said she was framed up by Mrs Iyoke and her son, saying she had problems with her some years ago.
“I am not guilty of what happened, I went to the shop that day to buy firewood and the son came to sell for me, after some minutes the mother ran out shouting that I was having carnal knowledge of her son.
“He is a small boy and also my late son’s friend, how can I have anything to do with him? I have a husband who loves me and we don’t have problems.
“I immediately called my husband to return home as people gathered and started reprimanding me, when he arrived and confronted the boy and his mother, I was shocked to hear the boy saying that I have been forcing him to sleep with me.
“But thank God my husband trusts me and knows I cannot do anything like that, I believe she framed me up because I once exposed her for sleeping with our neighbour’s husband and called her a prostitute.
“She is also fond of framing people up, just 3 months ago she beat up a girl after accusing her of having a relationship with her son.
“My husband wanted going to the police but I pacified him not to go as the boy is a minor and until he confesses that he is lying the police will turn the case on me because he is not up to 18 years.
“Yes, my son died after the incident and I’m still mourning but I have left everything to God for him to judge,” she said.
The Plateau state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Gabriel Uba, said none of the families had reported the matter to the police but would investigate.
