Mohammed Adamu, the inspector-general of police (IGP), has ordered the probe of the police officers who allegedly arrested Seyitan Babatayo, the lady who accused D’banj of rape.
As conversations about sexual assault and violence against women recently gained traction, Babatayo claimed that the entertainer raped her at Glee hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, in 2018.
Adamu had ordered a probe of D’banj, whose real name is Oladapo Oyebanjo, after which the 40-year-old was flown to Abuja and interrogated by Adaku Anya, an assistant police commissioner.
It had been alleged, at some point, that some policemen attached to the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) arrested Babatayo on the directive of D’Banj and detained her for more than 24 hours.
According to Punch, the IGP has given a fresh order in a letter dated June 25 with reference number CZ:7050/IGP.SEC/ABJ/Vol. 132/978 and signed by Idowu Owohunwa (DCP), his principal staff.
The letter is titled, ‘Re: Petition Against Inspector Abraham, Supol Ugowe and the Entire Police Officers Team at Ikeja, Lagos Division of the Inspector General of Police’.
“I forward forthwith copy of a letter dated June 18, 2020,” the letter, which was addressed to the deputy inspector-general of police, Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Garki, read in part.
“…with its attachment received from Ojoge, Omileye, and Partners on the above subject. I am to respectfully convey the directive of the Inspector-General of Police that you deal.”
The IGP’s order follows a petition by Seyitan’s lawyers where it was claimed that the accuser was denied access to both her counsels and her phone while facing psychological torture in detention.
“On Tuesday, June 16, 2020, our client was picked up alongside a friend, Favour, at her residence in Lagos by the officers of the Ikeja IGP IRT,” the said petition read in part.
“The arrest was without any warrant and neither our client nor her friend, Favour, was informed of the reasons for their arrest.
“According to our client, she was told to write a statement denying ever meeting with Mr. Oyebanjo (D’Banj) and to also state that she lied against the person of Mr. Oyebanjo.
“In actual fact, our client was about to write the statement which she believed would be a basis for her release when the counsel came in and stopped her from writing such a statement.”
Over 15,000 people had earlier signed a petition to the United Nations seeking the removal of D’banj as a youth ambassador over an allegation of sponsored kidnap involving the rape accuser.
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