•IGP Olukayode Egbetokun
The Deputy Superintendent of Police at the Ogudu Police Station in Lagos State, Owolabi Akinlolu, who was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in his office at the Ogudu Police Division, was allegedly retired from service in secrecy before his case was brought to court on Tuesday.
This falls short of the expectations of rights activists, the traumatised survivor, and her family, who had anticipated that the suspect would be dismissed from service and prosecuted upon the completion of the investigation, reports The PUNCH.
It was earlier reported in July 2024 that the survivor’s mother, Mrs Aramide Olupona, accused the police of attempting to cover up the case, claiming that the suspect’s wife and family had pleaded with her to drop the charges, claiming Akinlolu was due to retire in December.
Sources familiar with the investigation accused the Nigeria Police Force of deliberately prolonging both the probe and the suspect’s arraignment until after his scheduled retirement in December 2024, allegedly to grant him a soft landing.
Akinlolu had allegedly summoned the teenager to his office on June 29, 2024, claiming that the suspect who had stolen his phone two weeks earlier had been apprehended.
However, upon her arrival at the police station, the senior officer allegedly locked his office door and raped her.
In an interview with our correspondent yesterday, an insider familiar with the investigation claimed that the police authorities “deliberately allowed him to retire from service before initiating his prosecution.”
The source further revealed that the suspect was not dismissed from the force, stating that the officers handling the case in Lagos argued that “it was beyond the state command’s jurisdiction since the suspect was a senior police officer.”
He said, “They transferred the case to the Force headquarters in Abuja. It was Abuja that gave them directives on the investigation. Now, they are saying the completion of the investigation did not come before December. They are claiming it came after December,” the insider added.
A survivor’s family member (name withheld) made a similar accusation before Magistrate O.O. Fagboun ordered the suspect’s remand at the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, it was observed that, unlike Police Inspector Dikko Usman, a suspect in the murder of Lagos Chief Jubril Fatai, who was referred to as an “ex-Inspector” in the case, Akinlolu was neither identified by his DSP rank nor described as a former police officer.
Another credible source privy to the matter but who did not want to be mentioned for fear of retribution stated that the suspect allegedly pointed a gun at the survivor’s head before committing the crime, accusing the police of not mentioning it in the charges.
A document obtained by our correspondent yesterday, containing the survivor’s account, corroborated the earlier claim.
“We are supposed to be seeing attempted murder or a threat to life because the man allegedly defiled the girl at gunpoint. It appears the police deliberately chose to be lenient on one of theirs,” the source lamented.
Our correspondent also noted that it was not included in the charges against the suspect.
As of the time this report was filed, no response had been received regarding Akinlolu’s alleged retirement after our correspondent contacted the Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, and the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Wednesday but had yet to receive a reply.
Meanwhile, sharing her experience in an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents on Tuesday, the survivor said her “state of mind has not been the best.
“I am constantly scared, especially when I see police officers. Even when I’m just walking on the road and spot them, I feel terrified,” she told our correspondent.
The survivor lamented that the traumatic experience had strained her relationships with friends, admitting, “We’ve lost trust in the police. There’s nothing that would make us go to them for help now.”
She added that her family, especially her mother, is still struggling with the trauma.
“I’m not the first person he’s done this to, but I am determined to be the last. I hope we get the justice we deserve and that I can find peace within myself,” the survivor told our correspondent in an interview on Tuesday.
Mrs Olupona, the survivor’s mother, expressed gratitude that the suspect had been remanded but remained hopeful that her family would receive justice at the end of the trial.
“I’m happy that the defendant has finally been remanded. However, the incident that led us to this point fills me with sadness and anger. As a mother, I’m extremely protective of my child, and what happened to her is unacceptable.
“When it comes to my children’s safety and well-being, I don’t take things lightly. I’m not happy about what happened, and I want to see that justice is served,” Olupona said.
