…As Feminists group seek justice for rape survivors
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered a probe into the allegations of rape leveled against Music Icon, Oladapo Oyebanjo aka D’Banj. This is coming as the Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF) have called for thorough investigation and allow justice to take its course.
In a letter addressed to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Area 10, Garki, Abuja, with reference number CB.7000/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOl.484/801 signed by the Principal Staff Officer to the IG, DCP Idowu Owohunwa.
Responding to a petition written to the IG by Mr. Tommy Ojoge-Daniel, a lawyer to Miss Seyitan Babatayo, accused D’Banj of raping her in 2018, it reads in part: “I forward herewith copy of letter dated June 5, 2020 received from Ojoge, Omileye and Partners on the above underlined subject. I am to respectfully convey the directive of the Inspector-General of Police that you treat. Accept the assurances of my esteemed regards please.”
Seyitan’s friend, Benjamin Ese, in a Twitter thread in early June had told the story of how D’Banj allegedly raped Seyitan at a hotel two years ago in December 2018. She said it was at an all-white party where D’Banj allegedly offered her friend some money to spend the night, which she rejected until he surprisingly, showed up in Seyitan’s hotel room around 2am.
“D’Banj drove all the way from Eko hotel where he was lodged and came down to glee hotel in Victoria Island at midnight 2.40 am and collected the spare key from the receptionist.”
In a thread which has since sparked an outrage, Ese said that D’Banj allegedly got in her friend’s room and forcefully threatened he would walk her out of the room naked, kept his fingers in her vagina and repeatedly raped her. The rape experience, Ese said had caused Seyitan some trauma since the incident happened.
However, a month after Ese’s tweets, Seyitan came out publicly to present herself as the lady who was allegedly raped by D’Banj in December 2018.
D’banj has since denied the allegations levelled against him and asked his accuser to make a public apology and also pay him the sum of N100m in damages. On Tuesday, however, some policemen allegedly acting on the instruction of the award-winning artiste detained Seyitan for over 24 hours and intimidated her, making her delete all chats, social media posts and other vital information from her phone.
This incident has sparked an outrage on social media and human rights groups and feminists are ensuring that justice is metted.
NFF therefore seek that the safety of Ms Babatayo and other survivors who report incidences of sexual and gender-based violence are protected, while there should be sanction and public discipline the units and officers that intimidate and re-victimize survivors whilst protecting whistleblowers and upholding the rights of survivors.
They have also called on the IGP, to develop and share a roadmap of a state of emergency on GBV that is inclusive of the roles and responsibilities of all police officers. Adding that there should be a sustained declaration of a state of emergency on sexual violence in Nigeria not by words but in action.
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