Court Remands Herbalist For Alleged Rape Of 21-year-old Woman And Setting Her Ablaze

Sultan Ojuwoni, an Ibadan-based herbalist, has been remanded to the Federal Corrctional Service Centre, Oke-Kura, Ilorin, by a Kwara State Magistrate Court on charges of rape and arson.

On Tuesday, December 5, 2023, the state Police Command arraigned Ojuwoni (also known as Atakoro) and his accomplice, Olaitan Ibrahim Olalekan, in court.

According to reports, the herbalist raped and burned a 21-year-old fashion design apprentice, Firdaus Jimoh, in his Ibadan temple.

According to a police source, the girl sought sanctuary with her mother’s friend, Omowumi, in Ilorin following a fight with her mother.

“Firdaus went to temporarily live with her mum’s friend, Omowumi when she had minor domestic differences with her mother because the house was closer to the fashion designer shop where she was an apprentice,” the source said.

However, after a few days in Omowumi’s house, the woman declared her gold trinkets were missing and suspected Firdaus.

“Omowumi called and intimated Firdaus’ mother of her missing jewellery, threatening to invite the police. She took Firdaus and her own children, Medinat and Ayinde, to B Division police station as suspects. They left the police station, Ilorin, shortly afterwards and headed to Atakoro’s house in Ibadan for traditional consultation,” the source added.

Atakoro was said to have inquired and confirmed that none of the trio of Medinat, Ayinde and Firdaus stole the jewellery.

“Not satisfied, Omowumi insisted that Firdaus stole her jewellery and as such should be ‘spiritually’ checked thoroughly,” the source said.

“According to Firdaus, Omowumi then asked that Firdaus be left with the herbalist who allegedly pushed her back into his ‘ powerhouse’ and made to kneel.

Atakoro poured whiskey on her before hitting her with a charm on the chest. When she recovered later, she realised she was on fire, it was Ayinde who rushed for water,”

On seeing this, Omowumi left Firdaus with Atakoro while she and her children went to sleep elsewhere.

“Atakoro later went into Firdaus after rubbing a charm on her genitals before forcefully having carnal knowledge of her twice before daybreak.”

According to medical reports, Firdaus exhibited bruises from several rapes and had just recently been deflowered.

Last Friday and Saturday, Kwara State Police initiated a search for Atakoro. He was apprehended in Lagos and taken to Ilorin.

According to the Police First Information Report, Atakoro reportedly serially raped and burned Jimoh, 21, at his shrine in Ibadan, Oyo State, with the help of Olalekan and one Omowumi and her children, who are still at large.

The suspects were charged with criminal conspiracy, illegal trial by ordeal, rape, inflicting serious bodily harm by hazardous means, and attempting to commit culpable murder, all in violation of Penal Code Sections 97, 214, 283 and 229.

Magistrate Kolawole Aluko, who also did not accept the suspects’ pleas when the FIR was read to them, said that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the charges against them.

He did, however, listen to the prosecution’s and the second defendant’s counsel’s statements before ordering the suspects’ detention and adjourning the matter until January 17, 2024, for mention.

The magistrate said that the charges against the accused were not normally bailable.