#COZAGATE: Nigerians knock police over Bukola Dakolo’s rape saga

LAGOS, Nigeria – Nigerians are angry with the Nigerian Police over its involvement in the alleged rape allegation levelled against senior pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly(COZA), Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo.

Professional photographer, Busola Dakolo and wife of R&B singer, Timi Dakolo had alleged that the pastor sexually abused her severally on video. Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo has denied the allegation, noting that he will never rape anybody even as an unbeliever.

Busola Dakolo went a step further to report the incident to the Nigerian police several years after the alleged incident.

According to Timi Dakolo, Busola’s husband, a petition of the incident was dropped with the police since June, 2019 but the police is yet to invite the embattled pastor of COZA, whom we learnt has now travelled out of Nigeria.

But there was a dramatic twist to the incident over the weekend when the Nigerian Police invaded the home of the complainant with white tinted bus with armed men, ostensibly to deliver a letter of invitation and effect arrest of Busola. But what followed was a controversy of immersurable proportion.

The R&B singer fired a shot on the social media, revealing the presence of strange men in his premises and tracking his wife to their house and ordering his wife to board the white bus for unward movement to Abuja.

He also went ahead to address a press conference condemning the invitation and the manner that the police delivered the invitation and how he believes his family was maltreated, intimidated for speaking up on alleged sexual abuse, vowing to defend his wife and children.

Speaking on the way the event turned out, Police Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba said what happened was a nomal procedure involved in police invitation.

But curiously, the police moved in to arrest Busola Dakolo, the complainant ahead of scheduled date for interview based on the letter sent to the family by the police. According to the invitation letter, the interview with the police is scheduled for 23/07/2019, at 1PM (see letter) forcing many to question the rationale for jumping the gun.

By the content of that letter, Busola Dakolo was requested to contact DSP Ibrahim Agu on 08037864191 for inquiries. It was this action by the police in acting before the scheduled day for the interview that has generated public outrage. Mr. Paul Nobleson described that action of the police as nothing but public display of corruption in the Nigerian Police Force.

According to him, it is for this behaviour that many ladies who have been abused in the past have remained silent prefering to die in silence. Even Timi Dakolo also alluded to this in his press statement. In his reaction,

However, while the police has received knocks for the overzealous ways it has acted on this issue, suffice to add that it the incident has also received the attention of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari. Comenting on the now contentious video, the First Lady, called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu to act.

But celebrity journalist, Dr. Kemi Olunloyo believes Timi Dakolo is merely diverting attention and that he should embrace honesty.

“Timi suddenly after my new revelation on Twitter and Facebook broadcast, you wanna divert attention from the investigation. Gunmen and you are still on Instagram paranoid. Stop this attention seeking clout and sympathy syndrome and end this nuisance case. Begin to embrace honesty and transparency”, she said.