A police officer accused of raping a 17-year-old girl at the Ogudu Area Command premises in Lagos State has been arraigned in court.
The suspect, identified only as Owolabi, was remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Facility on Tuesday, while the case adjourned to March 11 pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The 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.
Akinlolu had allegedly summoned the teenager to his office on June 29, 2024, claiming that the suspect who had stolen her 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.
It has been 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.”
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.
The survivor said her “state of mind has not been the best.
She said, “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.