News

How Police Retired Officer Accused Of Raping Teenager Inside Lagos Station

Published

6 months ago

February 13, 2025

The Deputy Superintendent of Police at the Ogudu Police Station in Lagos State, Owolabi Akinlolu, who was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in his office at the Ogudu 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.

The PUNCH reported in July 2024 that 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.

Sources familiar with the investigation accused the Nigeria Police Force of deliberately prolonging both the probe and the suspect’s arraignment until after his scheduled retirement in December 2024, allegedly to grant him a soft landing.

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.

In an interview with on Wednesday, an insider familiar with the investigation claimed that the police “deliberately allowed him to retire from service before initiating his prosecution.”

The source further 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.”

He said, “They transferred the case to the Force headquarters in Abuja. It was Abuja that gave them directives on the investigation. Now, they are saying the completion of the investigation did not come before December. They are claiming it came after December,” the insider added.

A survivor’s family member (name withheld) made a similar accusation before Magistrate O.O. Fagboun ordered the suspect’s remand at the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, it was observed that, unlike Police Inspector Dikko Usman, a suspect in the murder of Lagos Chief Jubril Fatai, who was referred to as an “ex-inspector” in the case, Akinlolu was neither identified by his DSP rank nor described as a former police officer.

Another credible source privy to the matter but who did not want to be mentioned for fear of retribution stated that the suspect allegedly pointed a gun at the survivor’s head before committing the crime, accusing the police of not mentioning it in the charges.

A document obtained by The PUNCH on Wednesday, containing the survivor’s account, corroborated the earlier claim.

“We are supposed to be seeing attempted murder or a threat to life because the man allegedly defiled the girl at gunpoint. It appears the police deliberately chose to be lenient on one of theirs,” the source lamented. Our correspondent also noted that it was not included in the charges against the suspect.

As of the time this report was filed, no response had been received regarding Akinlolu’s alleged retirement after our correspondent contacted the Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, and the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Wednesday but had yet to receive a reply.

Meanwhile, sharing her experience in an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents on Tuesday, the survivor said her “state of mind has not been the best.

“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. I hope we get the justice we deserve and that I can find peace within myself,” the survivor told our correspondent in an interview on Tuesday.

Mrs Olupona, the survivor’s mother, expressed gratitude that the suspect had been remanded but remained hopeful that her family would receive justice at the end of the trial.

“I’m happy that the defendant has finally been remanded. However, the incident that led us to this point fills me with sadness and anger. As a mother, I’m extremely protective of my child, and what happened to her is unacceptable.

“When it comes to my children’s safety and well-being, I don’t take things lightly. I’m not happy about what happened, and I want to see that justice is served,” Olupona said.
(PUNCH)

News

FG Shuts 22 Illegal Tertiary Institutions

Published

32 minutes ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The National Commission for Colleges of Education has uncovered and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education.

The discovery was made during a crackdown on illegal colleges of education in the country.

The development was revealed in the commission’s achievements, seen by our correspondent.

“The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country.

“The NCCE conducted personnel audit, financial monitoring in all the 21 federal colleges of education,” the commission said.

President Bola Tinubu had recently urged the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education to weed out illegal higher institutions of learning in the country.

Speaking at the 14th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria in Abuja, the President ordered the NUC, the NBTE, and other agencies to take decisive action against what he described as “certificate millers” undermining the credibility of the education sector.

Tinubu, who was represented by the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, warned that the integrity of the academic system must not be compromised.

“At this juncture, it has become imperative to reiterate that this administration remains committed to strengthening the integration of all agencies involved in the administration of education to enhance efficiency and quality,” the President said.

He added, “The National Youth Service Corps, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education are working in alignment to improve the quality of education and ensure that cases of forgery and unrecognised institutions both within and outside the country have no place in our education ecosystem.”

News

EFCC Orders Arrest Of Dismissed Officer On Lege Miami’s Show

Published

2 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has condemned the actions of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, who was recently spotted participating in a matchmaking programme on social media platforms hosted by popular entertainer Lege Miami.

The agency has ordered his immediate arrest for retaining official EFCC property, including an identity card, following his dismissal for certificate forgery.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement on its official X handle on Monday, said Folarin served as a driver at the EFCC’s Ibadan Zonal Directorate.

He was, however, dismissed after investigations confirmed he had forged his academic credentials.

It said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, condemned in the strongest terms, the involvement of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, in a matchmaking programme running on Lege Miami social media platforms.”

“Folarin was recently dismissed from the Commission for certificate forgery. He was a driver at the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.”

The statement said EFCC Executive Chairma,n Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered Folarin to be arrested and emphasised that Folarin’s actions should not be associated with the commission.

“The Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered his arrest for being in possession of some Commission’s properties, including an identity card, which he should have handed over upon being dismissed from the EFCC.

“The public is advised against associating Folarin’s post-dismissal conduct with the EFCC,” the statement concluded.

News

NERC Transfers Regulation Of Electricity Market To Bayelsa

Published

2 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has transferred regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State to the Bayelsa Electricity Regulatory Agency.

In a notice on its social media handles on Monday, the commission said this was in compliance with the amended 1999 Constitution and the Electricity Act 2023.

“In compliance with the amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued an order to transfer regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State from the Commission to the Bayelsa State Electricity Regulatory Agency,” the commission said.

Recall that with the Electricity Act 2023, the commission retains the role as a central regulator with regulatory oversight on the interstate/international generation, transmission, supply, trading, and system operations.

The Act also mandates any state that intends to establish and regulate intrastate electricity markets to deliver a formal notification of its processes and requests NERC to transfer regulatory authority over electricity operations in the state to the state regulator.

The transfer order by NERC directed Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc to incorporate a subsidiary distribution company to assume responsibilities for intrastate supply and distribution of electricity in Bayelsa State from PHED.

PHED was also directed to complete the incorporation of PHED SubCo within 60 days from August 21, 2025.

“The subcompany shall apply for and obtain a licence for the intrastate supply and distribution of electricity from BYERA, among other directives,” the commission said.

It concluded that all transfers envisaged by the order shall be completed by February 20, 2026.

With this order, Bayelsa has joined states like Lagos, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Enugu, Niger, Edo, Oyo and Plateau, which have got the power to regulate electricity markets.

The state can now generate, transmit, and distribute electricity while issuing licences to investors within the value chain.