I was alone in the house one morning when I heard a knock on the door. Usually at that time of day, around about 10-10.30 in the morning, I do not receive visitors; it being a weekday and that day was a Thursday, you know, environmental day at the market, I decided to sleep a little before going to the shop. My little girl had gone to school, earlier at 7.30am, so I wanted to laze around and was sleeping.
I heard a knock on the door and went to find out who it was; when I asked who it was, two voices answered me. They said they had business for me. They wanted me to help them with some entertainment things, as you know, I am an entertainer. I do weddings and stuff.
Ok, when I heard they came for business, I replied that I didnโt do business at home, I did business in my shop at the market. I told them I would prefer they came to meet me at my shop rather than here at home. They began to plead, telling me that they got a big client they wanted to do some form of entertainment for and they would share profit with me if I helped them with certain things.
I was reluctant at first but then again, I told myself that here I am sleeping with no money to my name. I didnโt even have up to N5000 in my account and I am complaining that some people are bringing business to me home instead of the shop. So I opened the door to them.
Unfortunately for me, these were no amateur artistes like they led me to believe, these were thieves who were crafty and knew how to make a woman open her doors against her better judgement.
As soon as they entered my house, they locked up the door and brought out the sharpest knives I had ever seen and pointed a gun at me not to make any noise.
My heart almost flew off my chest. I cursed the moment I opened the door that morning.
These two boys would be no less than kids in their early twenties, 22-24 year olds, max! They asked me if there was anyone else in the house with me, I shook my head quickly and was pleading with my eyes for mercy.
They asked me to bring all the cash I had on me in the house to which I replied I had none; and that was the truth. I had a little over N3,ooo on me that morning and as for all my bank accounts combined, I couldnโt even boast of N5000. That is how bad things were for me that morning. These boys didnโt believe me; they began to ransack my house at the same time threatening to kill me if I dared make any noise or lied to them about my bank accounts.
They asked for my ATM cards and my phone. They checked my statements on my phone and discovered that truly, I had no more than I had told themโฆeven at that, they wanted me to go and withdraw everything and give to themโฆ
But before I was even allowed to go out; they told me they were going to rape me and film it. I broke into tears and began to beg them. I told them I was struggling to raise my children and that they should take all I had but spare me the shame of having to live with being raped!
One of them seemed reasonable enough and that one said, they wouldnโt rape me but I was told to remove all my clothes and told to sexually play with myself, they were going to film it and post on social media if I even considered reporting to the police!
I pleaded with them that I would not report; I didnโt even have the money to be giving to police to pursue any case; I told them, only people who have money go to the police and swore with everything I valued that I would never go to report to the police.
Some human beings will not die well and this is not a curse. I am a struggling mother trying to make ends meet, trying to be the best I can to my children and some people want to frustrate me and send me to an early grave with rape and blackmail.
I begged but they insisted and threatened to actually rape me if I failed to comply. So I did it. I followed their instructions on what I should do with myself. I caressed myself, licked my own breasts, fingered myself and even pretended to moanโฆI spread my legs and โฆI canโt continue, please.
So they filmed and asked me to go with them with my ATM Cards to empty my accounts.
I lived to tell the story today and I am thankful to God that though these boys are evil, they didnโt take my life because I could have just died like a chicken; no one would know who or what killed me in the house; see the way 2020 has been? It could have swallowed me whole like so many unfortunate people all over the world. I know these boys have my video but I chose to come forward and tell my story as well. So if you get on your WhatsApp, the video of a woman fxxking herself, please do not share, just delete it.
(Series written and edited by Peju Akande and based on true stories)