Taiwo Popoola
The Authority of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State has denied claims that the female victim allegedly raped by a commercial motorcyclist is its student.
Some News Platform had reported on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 that a commercial motorcyclist, identified as 29-year-old Damilare Jacob, has been arrested by the Osun State Police Command for allegedly raping and robbing a female passenger, a student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife.
The student, who was not named, had engaged Damilare’s services on Friday, July 26, 2024, at around 7:05 pm from the OAU main gate in Ile-Ife.
Damilare was to convey her from Ile-Ife to Moro town but he reportedly diverted into a bush before RCC Junction, Moro, where he raped the victim and robbed her of personal effects.
Damilare, responding to questions from journalists, said he committed the act due to how the victim reacted to his love advances to her.
Debunking the claim in a statement on Tuesday, the OAU Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, stated that the victim was not a student of the university.
Olanrewaju, while stating that no OAU student was raped, insisted that the institution has been on holiday for close to a month.
He added that since the institution has been closed, there was no way she could have engaged the services of the motorcyclist at the university main gate.
The statement reads, “The attention of the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has been drawn to a viral news item in which a commercial motorcyclist, known as Okada, was alleged to have raped and robbed his female passenger.
“We have done our due diligence, and the outcome of our painstaking investigation revealed that no OAU student, within or outside the campus, was involved in any form of rape or robbery.
“The lady did not have any affiliation with the prestigious university. In fact, our university is not in session and all our students, with a few exceptions, have been on holiday for almost a month now.”
The OAU spokesman implored the public to disregard the information since it was false.
