Reader's mail: How I was brutally beaten and raped

A reader just sent me this mail... so very touching. The names and place where this happened does not represent anyone you may know, it's been edited to protect the sender's identity.

Hello Amaka, I read a case of a victim on your blog and it just brought back memories of how I was brutally raped years ago. Let me share my story with you.

I had just turned 18 and still waiting for admission into the university, I travelled out of town with my friends for a modelling casting, it was late and we couldn't return that night. My friends and I didn't have enough money on us to pay for a hotel room to stay, and besides, we were told the casting had been moved forward to the next day so we had to stay till the next day. (sorry I will be economical with some details, because I'm afraid people close to me will guess am the one)

And with little money on us, my friend and I had to decide if we should travel back to Akure that night or find a place to stay for the night in Lagos. Before I knew it, Bimpe started chatting up a girl called Uju who she claimed she knows. They both came to me and said we can spend the night at Uju's house, I was skeptical at first but then I thought to myself that it was only a well meaning offer. Little did I know I was in for the nightmare of a lifetime....

So all three of us left the audition venue headed for Uju's house, I was quiet through the long walk. I only asked if we were going by bus but she said it was a walking distance. We kept walking for nearly 40 minutes, I became tired and by this time I told them I couldn't go any further. It was then that Uju told us she was hungry and would like to eat something at a restaurant around the bend, we went inside. I could use some food too, while Bimpe and I were still eating, Uju got up to go speak with some guys outside. By the time we were done with our meal, Uju told us she had an emergency she had to attend to somewhere in town and that we could continue to her house with her neighbours and she'll meet us later.

Photo Credit: Town Networks

I immediately smelt a rat and I told Bimpe I wasn't going anywhere with those guys but she kept saying I was only being paranoid. Before I knew it, Uju hopped on a bike and left us standing there with the guys with a promise to meet us at home. Bimpe and Uju managed to convince me to continue on the trip to Uju's house with them. It was obvious I wasn't comfortable with the idea. Looking back now, I know I should have gone back at that point but because of the situation I was in, I hoped for the best, and thought maybe it was just me being paranoid like Bimpe said. 

Eventually, we got to the Uju's supposed house only for the guys to tell us that it was theirs and that Uju pimped us to them so they'll each sleep with us. My jaw literally dropped!  Here I was, a virgin and some numskull was saying he paid some girl I don't know from before to sleep with me. I was furious but since we were still in the compound and I saw a woman around, I figured no harm could come to me so I told them I wasn't going to sleep with anybody. As a matter of fact, I made to leave the premises but I noticed Bimpe was willing to play along.  
As I stepped out of the gate, the three of them followed me and Bimpe was asked me to wait up for her. The guys still followed us and apologised to me but I wasn't having any of it. By this time, it was already 11:30pm. Bimpe and I noticed we didn't know where we were - the road had become deserted. Suddenly, the guys started yelling at me, it was then that I knew the worse was about to happen. They said are cult guys and that they'd deal with me for spoiling their night.

To cut a long story short Amaka, they became violent, hitting me and saying no one would hear not to talk of coming to my rescue. All this time, they left my friend alone who told them she was willing to cooperate with them as long as they take it easy with her. I couldn't believe she had just offered herself to them. I started running ... running with every muscle of my being. I fell and they caught up with me. Dragged me into a government school building and resumed hitting me with planks and metals. That night I prayed to God to come to my rescue, I screamed at the top of my voice but no one heard me... No one! I asked God for a miracle, for him to send help my way... Anyone even the school gateman, but no one was in sight. I even started begging them to leave me that I was a virgin, I told them to have mercy on me but they laughed me to scorn.  Shortly after that, one of the guys took Bimpe to a classroom while the one with me told me I was acting possessed because Bimpe was already cooperating with his friend. 

He told me he'll rather kill me than let me go without having his way with me. And so after I became weak with beatings, he pulled me up the wall by an open window and rammed into me with the force of a lion. I must have blanked out for a moment or two, the pain I felt was killing me slowly, sipping the life out of me.  He was ramming into me harder and I was just there too weak to make a sound. After he pulled out of me, I fell to the ground, trembling. He looked at me with the eyes of a predator to his prey and said, so you were truly a virgin? sorry ehn.

And with that he left me there and went in search of his friend. After he left, I managed to crawl out of that classroom to go hide at another block. I was afraid his friend will come for me too. In my hiding place between a cluster of broken down tables, I heard them looking for me. I literally stopped breathing. Moments later, I heard both guys saying they had to run away. When I was sure Bimpe was alone, I came out of my hideout and we both started crying together. She told me they both raped her and that the second guy wanted to come for me but the one who raped me stopped him saying I was truly a virgin before he had me.

By this time it was already 4am, we left the school out of fear they'll come back. I lost track of how long we walked form where we were to a junction where we saw a bus and flagged down the driver. We told him what happened to us and he helped us to a safe distance and advised us to report the matter to the police.

Bimpe didn't want to but I insisted we report it to the police. But unfortunately, when I got I to the station, the police made me feel like I was guilty. They simply asked me what a decent young girl was doing out late at night. They didn't even bother to allow me write a statement before asking me to go home and tend to my wounds. It was unbelievable.

We left the station, I asked Bimpe for the girl who set us up but she said she didn't really know her that well. I couldn't go for the casting that day, I just wanted to leave Lagos and go back home. Till date, I never told anyone aside from a close friend who told me not to tell anyone to avoid being stigmatised.

I have never stopped wondering why women are made to feel ashamed and guilty after a rape incident. It beats me how the victim becomes the accused like my experience with the police. It is the men who raped them that need to be ashamed and stigmatised. At least now, the police are beginning to live up to expectations by arresting rapists unlike years before.  

Till date, I haven't fully healed from that horrible experience, each time I hear of a rape case, it brings back floods of memories I'd rather not have. Is it the fact that I became traumatised and almost lost value for my body that I want to talk about? At a point, I felt God failed me by not sending help my way, I thought to punish him by abusing my body but thank God I'm free of that evil thought. I hope by this, I will finally be rid of the demons from that evil encounter. I am the winner, not the man who raped me.