Before his case was taken to court on Tuesday, Owolabi Akinlolu, the Deputy Superintendent of Police at the Ogudu Police Station in Lagos State, allegedly retired from service in secret. He was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl at his office at the Ogudu Police Division.
Rights advocates, the traumatized victim, and her family had hoped that the suspect would be fired from service and charged after the investigation was finished, but this does not meet their expectations.
In July 2024, it was reported that Mrs. Aramide Olupona, the survivor’s mother, accused the police of trying to hide the case. She said that the suspect’s wife and family had begged her to drop the charges because Akinlolu was scheduled to retire in December.
According to sources acquainted with the case, the Nigeria Police Force allegedly extended the investigation and the suspect’s prosecution until beyond his planned retirement in December 2024 to ensure his smooth landing.
On June 29, 2024, Akinlolu allegedly called the youngster to his office and said that the culprit who had taken her phone two weeks prior had been caught. But when she got to the police station, the senior officer allegedly raped her and locked his office door.
The police “deliberately allowed him to retire from service before initiating his prosecution,” according to a source familiar with the inquiry who spoke on Wednesday.
According to the source, the officers in charge of the case in Lagos contended that “it was beyond the state command’s jurisdiction since the suspect was a senior police officer,” meaning that the suspect was not removed from the force.
“They moved the case to the Force headquarters in Abuja,” he stated. They received instructions on the probe from Abuja. They are now claiming that the probe was not finished by December. “They say it happened after December,” the insider continued.
Before Magistrate O.O. Fagboun ordered the suspect’s remand at the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Center on Tuesday, a survivor’s family member (name withheld) made a similar accusation.
Akinlolu was not identified by his DSP rank or characterized as a former police officer, in contrast to Police Inspector Dikko Usman, a suspect in the murder of Lagos Chief Jubril Fatai and referred to as an “ex-inspector” in the case.
The suspect allegedly pointed a gun at the survivor’s head before performing the crime, according to another reliable source with knowledge of the case but who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisals. The source accused the police of failing to disclose this in the accusations.
The survivor’s account, which our writer was able to receive on Wednesday, supported the prior assertion.
Because the man reportedly defiled the girl at gunpoint, we are meant to be seeing an attempted murder or a threat to life. The insider bemoaned, “It seems the police purposefully decided to be forgiving on one of theirs.” Additionally, our correspondent pointed out that the charges against the defendant did not mention it.
Regarding Akinlolu’s purported retirement, our correspondent reached out to both the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, and the Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Wednesday, but had not heard back as of the time this report was filed.
In an exclusive conversation with one of our journalists on Tuesday, the survivor shared her ordeal and stated that her “state of mind has not been the best.”
“I’m always afraid, especially around police officers. She informed our correspondent, “I get scared even when I’m just strolling down the street and see them.
The survivor acknowledged that her friendships had suffered as a result of the terrible event, saying, “We’ve lost trust in the police.” Nothing would force us to seek their assistance at this time.
She also mentioned that the trauma is still affecting her family, particularly her mother.
“He has done this to others before, but I’m determined to be the last. In a conversation with our correspondent on Tuesday, the survivor said, “I hope we get the justice we deserve and that I can find peace within myself.”
The survivor’s mother, Mrs. Olupona, was thankful that the suspect had been placed on remand but maintained her hope that her family would be given justice after the trial.
“I’m glad the defendant has been remanded at last. But the event that brought us to this position makes me angry and sad. I’m very protective of my child as a mother, and what happened to her is unforgivable.
“I don’t take anything lightly when it comes to my kids’ safety and wellbeing. Olupona stated, “I want to see justice done because I’m not happy about what happened.”
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