After the controversy which followed the rape accusation levelled against popular entertainer, D’banj, also known as Koko master, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammad Adamu has ordered an investigation into the matter.
The order by the Inspector General of Police was contained in a letter signed by the Principal Staff Officer to the IG, DCP Idowu Owohunwa, with reference number CB.7000/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOl.484/801.
The IG’s letter, which was addressed to the Deputy Inspector –General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department was a response to a petition by Mr Tommy Ojohe, the lawyer to the complainant, Miss Seyitan Babatayo.
Miss Seyitan had alleged that D’banj raped her in 2018.
The letter reads in part, “I forward herewith a copy of the letter dated June 5, 2020, received from Ojoge, Omileye and Partners on the above-underlined subject. I am to respectfully convey the directive of the Inspector-General of Police that you treat.
“Accept the assurances of my esteemed regards please.”
The rape allegation against D’banj started when Benjamin Ese, a friend of the complainant, in a twitter thread alleged the artiste raped Seyitan at a hotel in December 2018.
According to Ese, the incident happened at an all-white party where D’banj offered her friend some cash for sex, which was turned down by Seyitan.
She alleged further that D’banj surprisingly showed up at Seyitan’s hotel room around 2 am in the midnight after obtaining a spare key from the receptionist.
“D’Banj drove all the way from Eko hotel where he was lodged and came down to glee hotel in Victoria Island at midnight 2.40 am and collected the spare key from the receptionist,” Ese said in the thread which has since sparked an outrage.
She said D’Banj allegedly “got into my friend’s room and forcefully threatened he would walk her out of the room naked, kept his fingers in her vagina and repeatedly raped her.”
The rape experience, Ese said had caused Seyitan some trauma since the incident happened.
One month after Ese’s tweets, Seyitan came out publicly to present herself as the lady who was allegedly raped by D’Banj in December 2018.
The musician, however, denied the allegations levelled against him and asked his accuser to make a public apology and also pay him the sum of N100m in damages.
On Tuesday, however, some policemen allegedly acting on the instruction of the Oliver Twist crooner detained Seyitan for over 24 hours and intimidated her, making her delete all chats, social media posts and other vital information from her phone.
The incident has sparked outrage on social media with D’Banj trending on social media for the last two days
D’Banj is one of Nigeria’s biggest artists having won several music awards, including the awards for Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007, Artist of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009, Best International Act: Africa at the 2011 BET Awards, and Best-selling African Artist at the 2014 World Music Awards and the Evolution award at the 2015 MTV Africa Music awards.
Feminists and several rights groups have called on the police to ensure that justice is served regardless of the musician’s status.
