August 24, 2019

The complaint of rape made by Mrs. Busola Dakolo against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo, the senior pastor at the COZA faith ministry, has probably gone the way of most cases against the rich and powerful in Nigeria. That is to say, the police killed the case in order to protect the rich and a paying client of the police.  Otherwise, how could the police declare an investigation inconclusive simply because the suspect that is within their reach refused to answer police invitation? By so doing, the police can be taken as saying that the investigation had gone cold, that they had followed all the leads and got nowhere. But if they have not been able to interview the suspect, they have failed to follow the most probative lead. As reported in the Premium Times, the police "set up the five-member panel to investigate the rape allegation leveled against him [Fatoyinbo] by Busola, wife of popular singer, Timi Dakolo. The embattled cleric said he did not appear before the panel because it appeared biased. "He also added that he was advised by his lawyers not to appear before the panel because it was prejudiced and may not conduct an impartial session." This case has been marked by a cruel irony and deceit. First, when the lady reported that the powerful, rich and well connected pastor raped her 20 years ago when she was 17 years old, the police failed to investigate the complaint and no reason was given for turning a cold shoulder to the lady. Frustrated by the indifference and believing that the police were compromised, the lady took her story to the press. Mrs. Dakolo's media interview that alleged rape against Pastor Fatoyinbo became a sensation. A country that normally ignored such allegation and blamed the victim suddenly came alive with unprecedented outrage against a suspected rapist. The spontaneous reaction took everybody by surprise. Human rights and women groups protested with placards in front of COZA churches. The pastor promptly placed himself on leave while he continued to deny the allegation. There was hope that this case might change for good and better the way Nigerian address cases of rape. Like a typical Nigerian rich man accused of some crime, Pastor Fatoyinbo turned the police against the accuser. He filed a petition with the police accusing Mrs. Dakolo and her husband of defamation. As typical of the Nigerian police, the police ignored the rape allegations and went after the woman and her husband for defamation. In a clearly calculated effort to frustrate and intimidate, the police issued their infamous invitation letters trying to cause the couple to leave their Lagos abode and travel to Abuja to be questioned. As the couple chalkenged this move, the police staged a shameful attempt to arrest them. There was a public outcry as many questioned the motive of the police. This embarrassed the Inspector General of the Police (IGP), who directed that both the rape and defamation allegations be investigated in Lagos. While the Dakolos went to meet with the police, as requested, Pastor Fatoyinbo refused to go. Normally when a complainant fails to meet the police for further investigation into his complaint, the police could treat that as a sign that there is no merit in the complaint. However, when a suspect fails to honor police invitation, the effect is the opposite. The police seemed to have reversed this neat logic in the case of the Dakolos against Pastor Fatoyinbo, by declaring the investigation into the two cases inconclusive just because the suspect (Fatoyinbo) refused to honor the police. As sad and unfortunate as it is, at least the Dakolos managed to have escaped what was to be a brutal police persecution through the attempt to ignore their rape allegations and prosecute them for defamation in Abuja. Unfortunately, she will not be able to pursue a civil remedy against the pastor because the incident occurred 20 years ago, while a civil cause of action expires after six years from the date of the incident. For the alleged victim of rape, it is a painful goodbye to justice. For thousands of rape victims ignored by the Nigerian justice, they still have to wait for another occasion when the country's law enforcement will step up the fight against rape and crimes of sexual violence. Like this post/article? Add your friends to DPA today.

Tesha P Adaeze Nwanma took to Facebook to protest the abuse she suffered in the hands of The Young Shall Grow Logistics Company. The details of her grievance are contained in her public letter to The Young. She wrote: "Dear 'The Young Shall Grow' Couriers and Logistics, I am writing this post from a place of anger and so much pain! I am so angry, I am so pissed , I have cried and I am still raging! How can your company be so wicked for no reason! You charge so much for a waybill, a thing as little as a jersey, you charge 2k 3k,  as if that's not enough, you will still collect another 500naira from the customer! I get this calls with customers asking me, 'Why are they collecting another 500 from me'  and I will just looking plain stupid over the phone! When you register these things, they won't give you a waybill number, rather when it gets there, they either send a text or call the person Now the latest issues I am having now, is that they no longer call the customers I am having issues in PH, Abuja and Ebonyi.... What's my crime, I used The Young Logistics Yesterday, I asked one of my customers to go to their office at PH, he was embarrassed, telling him to go and wait for a call, after some drama they had to start searching around for the stuff, after which they still asked him for another 500naira , which I had to transfer to the lady before she accepted to release it This is frustrating, I am frustrated! I have received insults, I have been called a thief all because I can't give a reasonable explanation as to why The Young logistics are this mean! Those of you doing this things, you will reap the fruits of your labours and wickedness in a triple fold! Even though I have begged and begged and begged my biz partner to stop using the young, but it all falls on deaf ears, at the end, I am the one getting all the heat, insults and blames The many times that I have used peace mass logistics (despite all the negative things that surrounds that company) I have never had an issue one bit! Not even one issue, they don't charge much, they will call you and give you your stuff jeje, without asking for money and they won't give you any single stress I am not happy at all I am not one bit! The young had shown me pepper I am only paying that I come out of this mess, heaven knows that even if I am crazy, I will never go near The Young Again! Never!"