A disturbing case of alleged police brutality has taken a controversial turn as the mother of a 17-year-old rape victim accuses the Nigeria Police Force of deliberately delaying justice to protect an accused senior officer. The case, which has drawn widespread attention and condemnation, centers on Assistant Superintendent of Police Owolabi Akinlolu, who allegedly raped a teenage girl at Ogudu Police Station in Lagos.
The incident, which occurred on June 29, began when the 56-year-old ASP reportedly lured the secondary school student to the station under the pretense of having apprehended a suspect who had stolen her phone. According to the victim’s account, what followed was a horrifying ordeal in which the senior officer locked her in his office and sexually assaulted her.
Mrs. Aramide Olupona, the victim’s mother, has now raised serious allegations about the handling of the case. She claims that despite the Lagos State Police Command completing its investigation in August and forwarding findings to headquarters in Abuja, there has been a conspicuous lack of progress in bringing the matter to court. According to her, insider sources suggest a deliberate strategy to allow Akinlolu to retire in December rather than face dismissal from the force.
They plan to have him on trial next year after his retirement so he will still be taking his pension from the force,” Mrs. Olupona revealed in a recent interview. Her frustration is palpable as she questions the message this sends to both her traumatized daughter and other potential perpetrators of such crimes. The delay, she argues, effectively allows the accused officer to potentially escape the full consequences of his alleged actions while retaining his pension benefits.
The case has attracted the attention of prominent civil society organizations. Dr. Joe Odumakin, president of Women Arise for Change Initiative, has spoken out against the broader issue of sexual violence against women and girls, urging the victim and her family to persist in their pursuit of justice. Odumakin referenced other cases where police officers faced consequences for similar offenses, including dismissal and demotion.
Adding another perspective to the discussion, Olumide Omosebi, CEO of Gnosis Help Initiative, has suggested that advocacy efforts should now focus on police headquarters in Abuja to ensure the suspect faces an orderly room trial. This recommendation highlights the complex bureaucratic channels through which such cases must navigate.
The case’s history reveals troubling attempts to suppress justice from the beginning. In July, Mrs. Olupona had already accused the police of trying to bury the case, revealing that the suspect’s family had approached her to drop the charges, citing his impending retirement. It was only after media coverage by Saturday PUNCH that the suspect was arrested and questioned by the Lagos State Police Command.
The silence from official channels continues to deepen concerns about the handling of the case. Attempts to get comments from the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, have been unsuccessful, further fueling suspicions about the transparency of the process.
This case raises serious questions about accountability within Nigeria’s law enforcement system, particularly in cases involving their own officers. The apparent prioritization of protecting pension benefits over swift justice for a sexual assault victim has sparked outrage and highlighted the challenges faced by victims of police brutality in seeking redress.
As December approaches, with it Akinlolu’s expected retirement date, the pressure mounts for authorities to demonstrate their commitment to justice and accountability. The outcome of this case could set a significant precedent for how similar incidents involving law enforcement officers are handled in the future, potentially either strengthening or undermining public trust in the police force’s ability to police itself.
