“How Fellow Student Ra*ed Me At Uniport” – Akababio, Fmr. Ondo NYSC Coordinator

By Ayodele Oni

A former Ondo State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs Grace Akababio, has recounted her traumatic experience as a victim of rape.

She revealed how she was raed by a fellow student at the University of Port Harcourt in 1983, saying the experience shattered her trust in God, but that she has since forgiven her alleged assailant and moved on.

Akababio, who shared the account on Facebook, explained that she was 19 and a first-year student, when the incident occurred, coming only days after she lost her father in a ghastly motor accident.

She recalled that her parents had visited her at Choba, where the university was located, on June 30, 1983, to celebrate her 19th birthday.

According to her, her mother brought a birthday cake and food, which she shared with friends, but the celebration was followed by tragedy 10 days later when her father died after being struck on the head with a hammer while trying to rescue a child involved in a road accident.

Akababio said she was still mourning her father when she was raxed on her way from Abuja Park to Choba Park, where she planned to spend the night with her friend, Dora, and participate in a group discussion with her classmates.

She said a fellow student whom she knew offered her a lift, which she accepted, but the journey took an unexpected turn when he stopped at Delta Park, claiming he wanted to deliver something to a friend at the staff quarters.

She explained that she followed him into the house after he asked her to come in and greet the supposed friend.

Akababio added that she became suspicious when the man did not leave and she later discovered that the door had been locked.

 “I told him to come and open the door. He started telling me that he always admired me and wanted us to have a good time before taking me to Choba Park. I told him I wasn’t interested.

According to her, the man subsequently attacked her despite her resistance and eventually overpowered and raped her.

“As at this time I was still a virgin, so my very first encounter with sex was through raxe. I was shattered.”

Akababio recalled that the incident, coming shortly after the death of her father, left her questioning her faith.

“I felt that there was no need trusting God. Within one week I lost the two things I treasured the most—my Dad and my virginity.”

She stated that she could not bring herself to tell her mother or other friends about the incident, adding that only Dora, a medical student, knew what had happened.

According to her, Dora took her to a clinic, where she underwent some tests and was given medication.

Akababio said she subsequently blamed herself for the incident, but the experience taught her to be more cautious whenever she accepted lifts from people.

“Whenever anyone of the opposite sex offered me a lift and decided to branch somewhere, I’ll always ask to be dropped to continue to where I’m going on my own.”

Reflecting on the decades-old experience, Akababio said she was grateful that God had helped her overcome the pain and bitterness.

She pointed to the photograph accompanying her Facebook post, which showed her with her first grandchild on the grandchild’s 16th birthday, was a testimony to how far she had come.

“God saw me through and today I’m no longer bitter. God restored my trust in Him. I have forgiven the rapist and I have moved on with my life by God’s special grace.”

Akababio urged raxe survivors not to give up on themselves or remain silent, stressing that victims needed support rather than stigma. “If you’re a victim of rape, please don’t give up on yourself. Trust God to stand by you.”

She also called on law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to play their part in ensuring justice for victims of sexual violence.

“The law enforcement agencies and the judiciary also have a great role to play in giving justice to victims of raxe.”

Akababio concluded by praying that her children and grandchildren, as well as other families, would never experience sexual violence, describing raxe as an experience she would not wish even on her worst enemy.

“I pray that God gives victims of rape the grace to speak out and stop the silence,” she concluded.