Alleged Rape: Busola Dakolo reacts to Fatoyinbo’s court victory

Busola Dakolo, the wife of musician Timi Dakolo, has reacted to
Biodun Fatoyinbo’s victory in court today.
A Nigerian judge, Othman Musa, dismissed the rape allegations
against Mr Fatoyinbo, a famous Abuja-based preacher of
Commonwealth of Zion Assembly.
Mr Musa dismissed the case filed by Mrs. Dakolo on Thursday
afternoon, saying it was statute-barred because it happened decades
ago.
The judge also said the case was aimed more at punishing Mr
Fatoyinbo than obtaining justice.
Controversial actress, Tonto Dikeh, was the first celebrity to
congratulate the pastor on his court victory.
“You can’t mock God. I celebrate with PB,” she wrote on Mr
Fatoyinbo’s Instagram page.
Mrs Dakolo bared her thoughts on the court ruling in a two-part
Instagram post on Thursday evening.
She explained that she “set out to ease the hurt, the sense of shame
and abuse, the nightmares and traumas not by securing judicial
victory only but by boldly sharing my story and calling out my
transgressor robed in the vestiges of clerical power and pretence”.
She also pointed out some discrepancies in the court process and the
ruling.
Mrs Busola said she found it curious that the judge gave a final
ruling after the court claimed that the case file had gone missing.
“I was particularly surprised at the hearing of the case when the
court said the file was missing and later when the court said my
own processes cannot be found and finally, the case is out of time.
This only shows that we have a lot to address to bring sanity to our
country,” she noted.
The mother-of-three also said that although a judgement has been
ruled in the clergyman’s favour, it has, however, not declared him
innocent of the crimes.
Mrs Dakolo filed the suit against Mr Fatoyinbo after alleging that he
raped her in 2002 and caused her emotional distress.
Mr Fatoyinbo’s lawyers, led by Alex Izinyon, had argued that the
prayers in the suit were frivolous and an abuse of court process.
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Read the full text of Mrs Dakolo’s statement below
I have just been briefed by my lawyers on the court’s ruling in the
matter before it pertaining to my stand against injustice represented
by the reprehensible actions of Mr. Biodun Fatoyinbo and, in light of
the present and anticipated inquiries from friends, family, and
well-wishers, it is pertinent to convey my sincere reaction to the
said ruling.
When I set about confronting one of my biggest fears and a horrible
experience from my past, the first hurdle was finding the confidence
to. Victims usually do not find a place for their voice, certainly not
in our deeply conservative country where might is right and virtue
while innocence is a licence for abuse and disregard. I had no
illusions about the herculean task before me in not only openly
confronting the man behind the mask but seeking remedy and
sanction against him before the court.
I set out to ease the hurt, the sense of shame and abuse, the
nightmares and traumas not by securing judicial victory only but by
boldly sharing my story and calling out my transgressor robed in the
vestiges of clerical power and pretence. I understood and accepted
that by voicing out I was silencing the screams in the night.
Ever since my story broke, the reactions were mixed but largely
comforting. I noted that otherwise hushed victims of rape and sexual
abuse were taking a cue from my stoicism in the face of ridicule
and opposition and sharing their equally appalling stories. It is in
this response that my victory was sealed, in knowing that one
woman’s boldness could encourage others and challenge the
institutionalized silence and the repression of the victim’s narrative
by a culture of guilt-tripping, stigma and an inexplicable clamour to
make irrational excuses for sexual offenders.
Even so, there is much to be said about what transpired in court. In
the court’s wisdom, my legal action is statue barred and that means
the time has passed within which I could or should have initiated the
suit.
The substance of the suit which is my allegations of sexual abuse
leading to emotional distress on my person against Mr. Biodun
Fatoyinbo has neither been entertained by the court nor ruled up
I believe that the effect of the injurious claim is a continuous one
that transcends time and place.
This has only made me wonder more about what a country we have.
I was particularly surprised at the hearing of the case when the
court said the file was missing and later when the court said my
own processes cannot be found and finally the case is out of time.
This only shows that we have a lot to address to bring sanity to our
country.
Today, I am glad that my voice is not silenced and this is a victory
for me. I must encourage every woman out there to keep the pace
and never stop voicing out against the evil of rape and sexual abuse.
Do not be dispirited by today’s court decision.
No judgement has been made declaring the innocence of Mr. Biodun
Fatoyinbo. It must be stated that while our experience have a shared
theme, the circumstances are different. We must not give up on our
victory lies more in finding our voice than anything else.
I thank my dear husband for his continuous support, friends, our
legal team and all who have been standing with us on this as I
assure you all I am very fine.
Thank you.