A gospel musician, Biodun Badejo, popularly known as Jovani, has been apprehended by police officers in Ipaja, Lagos for allegedly raping his female friend.
The singer who is presently cooling off in police detention was arrested by the police on Saturday.
He described what happened between them as a ‘lovers’ quarrel’.
Speaking with SaharaReporters on Monday, Chief Operating Officer, Advocates For Children And Vulnerable Peoples Network (ACVPN), Ebenezer Omejalile, confirmed the arrest, stating however, that the victim was delaying the case as she had refused to show up for further investigation to be done.
He also said there were speculations that the victim was negotiating a settlement with the family of the accused though the claims could not be verified.
“We have heard a rumour that there are negotiations ongoing to pay her N30,000. The Divisional Police Officer called me and explained to me that she had asked the lady to come this morning so the case would be taken to court but the girl refused to show up.
“They have been calling her, but she is not answering her calls. Initially, she said she was not interested in the case and I said if she would pursue the case, that guy would continue to do it to others because she was not the first person nor would she be the last person. But now, we are hearing about negotiations. The DPO said she would not allow that under her watch.”
Omejalile also said he had received a report from Mirabel Centre about a DPO who allegedly faulted the young woman for going to the sexual assault referral centre.
“Imagine, she told the girl she shouldn’t have gone to Mirabel, that Mirabel was the wrong place to go to, but the DPO has denied it,” he said.
Omejalile said the victim has to show up, else she will be charged as a hostile witness, and for perjury, especially as there are allegations of negotiation for settlement.
“There are allegations that she has been negotiating (with them); they said she sent someone to negotiate. The guy’s family showed up and said the girl said they should negotiate and that was what really infuriated the DPO that such would never happen under her watch,” he said.
In an earlier report by SaharaReporters, the lady, who spoke on condition of anonymity, narrated how Badejo allegedly raped her.
She said she was not in a relationship with him though he had been trying to initiate a romantic relationship with her.
She said, “I told him to go with me to get a phone around 5pm yesterday so we went there and we were done around past 6pm. I needed to do something on his laptop so I followed him to his place. Before then, he had gone to his mum’s place to get the key. We got to his place and entered his house. Then, he pulled down his boxers and I asked him why he was undressing in my presence. He said he wanted to bathe so I started fiddling with my phone and charging the new one.
“He came out of the bathroom in his towel and started touching me and I was telling him no. Before I knew it, he became aggressive. I was begging him, crying seriously, he was like a different person. He took a belt and was threatening me. I ran into his bathroom, he pushed me to the wall and asked me to pull off my clothes and have my bath.
“I said no, I even had to lie to him that I had an infection, I told him I had HIV but he didn’t listen, he was bent on having me around for the night. I even sat on the extension box, saying I would kill myself but he didn’t listen. He was still telling me to go to the bed. I struggled with him; I even have some bruises on my body. He forcefully had his way and I screamed but the neighbours didn’t respond. I don’t know why.”
She said after Badejo had his way, he opened the door and she ran out.
But when SaharaReporters contacted Badejo, he denied the allegation, stating that it was not rape but a ‘lovers’ quarrel’.
He claimed that the duo had already agreed on having sex, so he did not understand why it was being termed as rape.
Badejo said, “Actually, it’s not the way she said it, we had some chats and it makes it clear that we had a lot going on. She called me on the phone to come over and she said we should go to my place. We spent hours buying her phone. We went to Iyana-Ipaja. She bought me some food, she came to my mum’s place and we made it clear we were going to my place so it wasn’t an assault or anything like that. I have a lot of evidence on my phone to show when we made it clear we were going to have sex.
“I did not rape her; she threw a phone that hit me in the eye; my eye is still red and swollen. She scattered everything in my house; it was just a lovers’ quarrel. I don’t know why she is calling it rape. It was not rape and it was not an assault. I am being honest with you, she’s my babe, I like her, I love her but I don’t know what went through her mind.”
The mother of the accused debunked the rape claims, saying they were false.
She said the victim was trying to blackmail her son.
She said, “We have evidence here and I’m going to contact my lawyer if she doesn’t stop blackmailing my son.
“I’m ready for her, she is a 419 (a fraudster), we have evidence here on WhatsApp. You had better warn her. My son just picked interest in her. I even told her I wanted her to marry my son but now I can see she is a 419. I am not an illiterate, I saw her as a responsible lady but she has proved otherwise.”