A 12-year-old girl, Juliet (not real name), who was gang-raped by three men at the Ojuwoye area of Mushin, Lagos and who suffered an internal bleeding, as a result, has undergone a surgery performed to save her life.

The surgery which was bankrolled by the Mirabel Sexual Assault Referral Centre, was carried out at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.

She is now recuperating at the surgical unit of the hospital even though doctors are still carrying out more tests on her.

The girl’s situation became critical following the gang-rape by three customers of her late mother’s friend, an alcoholic drink vendor identified as Mrs.Salawa.

The girl, who has been living with her grandmother since her mother died a year ago, said Salawa helped the rapists push her inside the shop in which she was raped. The woman allegedly collected the N4,000 the rapists gave the girl after the assault.

It was learnt that the girl’s father had not been seen since she was a little child.

The girl had said that she had been gang-raped in the same area four months ago, a case which was never reported.

She also identified an elderly man called Jimoh, who had allegedly raped her several times in the past and threatened her never to tell anyone.

The Child Protection Network, a consortium of non-government organisations, government and stakeholders, which has been handling the girl’s case, said that investigation showed that the gang-rape which occurred four months ago might have been organised by Salawa.

According to Mr. Ebenezer Omejalile of CPN, following the sexual assault on the girl, the woman administered a concoction on her.

He said, “The survivor has been affected psychologically by the experience. We gathered that the woman who set the survivor up has been subjecting the girl to series of sexual violence and exploitations.

“We equally gathered that the woman administered a concoction to the girl after she was sexually assaulted by the three men. The concoction was identified as one of the causes of the complications suffered by the girl.”

One of the alleged rapists, who was arrested last week, has been transferred to the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters. He is scheduled to be charged to court after the New Year celebration.