Posted by By HAMMED BODUNRIN, Osogbo on
Until the bubble burst on June 10, 2005, no fewer than 40 females of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho had been raped by an unidentified man who called himself 'Tombolo" and charged his victims to advertise the name.
Until the bubble burst on June 10, 2005, no fewer than 40 females of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho had been raped by an unidentified man who called himself 'Tombolo" and charged his victims to advertise the name.
Daily Sun investigation revealed that LAUTECH (jointly owned by Oyo and Osun State governments) and indeed Ogbomoso community in Oyo State have been under the siege of Tombolo for about three years now but this 'invisible" and mysterious rapist in the last six months multiplied his efforts and changed from attacking his victims from initial once or twice in a month to about three to four times weekly.
A sex machine?
Tombolo, according to those who spoke to Daily Sun, has once raped six girls in a room (mysteriously). He would rape every female occupant of the room, and subsequently take their possessions especially handsets and money.
If you are in Ogbomoso and you mention 'Tombolo", you need no explanation before you would be told how mysterious and powerful he is. According to reports, Tombolo was always in a pair of trousers and overall blue blouse. He would also carry a cutlass and deal machete blows on any stubborn victim. Initially, victims had thought Tombolo had mysterious power to enter any room he wanted but it was soon discovered that he was also carrying cutting implements with which he dismantled doors or cut net on windows for him to come in. Victims who preferred anonymity told Daily Sun that after his operations, there was always a sound of motorcycle prompting the guess that he rode bike to operate.
Unusual courage
According to students sources, when Tombolo visited a place and could not enter through his so-called mystery, 'he would ask the occupants to open the door and if he was refused, he would threaten to come back and he made good such promise".
Series of cases
On March 12, 2005, a 300 level female student of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension was raped by Tombolo. She was said to be taking fresh air outside due to power failure. Tombolo appeared like a night guard in his attire. He asked the girl for water and she obliged. But as she turned and entered her room, Tombolo followed, took her N12,000 and raped the girl.
Another reported case was that of a 200 level Computer Science and Engineering student last April 12. She was sleeping in her room at about 1.30am when she heard somebody knock on her door, which she refused to open. When the visitor eventually decided to cut the net on the window and entered, it was Tombolo. He did not only rape and steal some of her properties, he gave her a big cut on the thigh.
On May 23, Tombolo reportedly stormed a room through the window at about 12 mid-night and met three girls, 300 and 400 level medical students as well as a final year Physics student. He had the courage to sit down and ask them to prepare food and they spoon-fed him in turn, standing naked before him. After molesting them for about three hours, asking them to do callous things, he was said to have raped them in turn threatening to behead them if they dare shout. He in addition stole their N45,000.00. These and many others have been reported at the police station, the school health centre and other public health institutions including private hospitals.
Costly resistance
However on June 10, 2005, Tombolo had as usual broken into a female student's room around Igbo Agboin area of the town. Unfortunately for him, he met the girl's elder brother, Hassan Nasir and his friend and ordered them to stay where they were while he made for the girl. Apparently unable to bear the agony as Tombolo dealt a machete blow on the girl to scare them, Hassan reportedly stood up and dashed against Tombolo in a ‘whatever-it-will-take' rescue operation. Furious Tombolo macheted Hassan on the hand, leg and back before fleeing as the girl kept shouting for help. In spite of the repeated threats, Hassan was also able to wrest the cutlass from the fleeing Tombolo and subsequently collapsed in the pool of his own blood.
After several efforts, the students were able to get the former Dean of Students Affairs of the University, Prof. R.O. Ayeni, who reportedly came down and moved Hassan from a maternity centre (where he was given first aid) to Ogbomoso General Hospital. At the hospital it was discovered that Hassan had lost two of the arm muscles due to deep cut and was moved to the Baptist Medical Centre where he was operated and still recuperating.
The protest
Apparently irked by the news that Hassan had died from losing so much blood coupled with the seeming lukewarm attitude of the community to find solution to the Tombolo problem, the students took to the street and marched to the Oba palace. The Vice President of the Student Union Government, Vivian Ayantoye lamented the plight of the students. She explained that female students could no longer sleep alone in their rooms and would have to squat elsewhere every night only to come back home in the morning to start preparing for classes, a development which gives psychological problems and lateness for lectures. The monarch pledged to find a lasting solution to the problem. The students were further calmed by the confirmed reports that Hassan was responding to treatment.
Despite protest, Tombolo keeps operating
At the night of the protest, Tombolo still stormed a place called General area and raped another victim. Also the following week, he appeared at Gaa Masifa area and attempted to enter a Baale's house. He again reportedly visited a Muslim female hostel but they combined to resist him and he repeated the visit while only gunshot from a land around Grace Hospital, Agbonin prevented him from carrying out another rape on Monday.
When the tension kept mounting, the university's acting vice-chancellor, Professor Tesi Raji announced a mid-semester break to douse the situation.
Within one week of student's break, Tombolo stormed the town and attempted to rape a pregnant woman, promoting another protest by the women in Ogbomoso community.
When contacted, the Dean of Students Affairs (DSA) Professor Dele Afolabi, said the management was looking into the issue. He said, 'the Tombolo thing is a serious issue" adding that students have started resuming as all hands would be on deck to ensure that peace reigns on campus.
Though the VC could not be reached while his mobile phone gave no response, a source from his office expressed concern, adding, 'the problem is compounded by the fact that LAUTECH is non-residential." The source said the VC could do little to police the entire town of Ogbomoso where the students reside, but would 'do his best to assist in safety plans for the students and other members of the university community".
Meanwhile various records of victims at the police stations, maternity centres and hospitals as well as reports by the students showed that about 40 female students and other women in the town have fallen victim to Tombolo. Some reported that he cleaned his victims' private parts with a white handkerchief after raping them prompting speculations that he was using it for fetish purposes.
A student of the institution described Tombolo as tall, huge and was the same person who initially operated as 'Comrade Lion" before picking 'Tombolo" as the new name from a horror film characterized by robbery and other vices.