27Th. of July

I usually left home as early as 5am to catch the first bus so to make it to work on time and our neighbourhood was safe, everyone seemed to be friendly and i attended the monthly neighbourhood meeting all the time. But something that would change everything about me happened one fateful morning.

It was around 5:20am on the 27th of July 1997,i was walking down the street then someone grabbed me from behind and as I tried to free myself,i realized that it wasn't one person though i couldn't tell how many people held me but all i knew was that they were men, they dragged me to a lonely part,tore my dress and held me down the had their turn on me.

I was in pain but despite the darkness,i was able to see one of them though he looked unfamiliar but i could tell that he was well built, he was the only one amongst them that kissed me, i lost count and i also lost strength, my attackers devoured me and took away my dignity, my pride and every good thing about me. The stigma of the only rape victim in the neighbourhood traumatized me for years.

I was only nineteen,trying my best to support my family but they took it all away from me. I tried to take my life because of the shame but my mother was by my side, my aunty decided to take me with her so that was how i left for the capital. I got admission to read international relations and graduated on top of my class then got employed immediately i left school. I was able to forget about that ugly experience and i did but walking into the airport on the 15th of March 2014, i saw him.

He looked like the devil himself, his ugly eyes were still the same and his stature reminded me of that beast that forced his tongue into my mouth,held me down while his accomplices devoured me, it was him, he raped me. I didn't know what to do but i knew just one thing,the justice i have prayed for was right at my finger tip so i walked upto him,held him in front of a surprised crowd and asked him if he still remember 27th of July 1997.

The airport was a perfect place because i attracted both security operatives and he was arrested because i made a call to the chief Judge of the federation and he was stopped from boarding the aeroplane. He couldn't believe that his past would catch up with him. He confessed during interrogation and named his six accomplices, they were all seventeen when they raped me and were all sentenced to twenty one years imprisonment.

"Justice delayed is not Justice deprived".