Recent reports suggesting that a female student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, was raped by a commercial motorcyclist have been dismissed by the university authorities.
PUNCH Metro previously covered the story of Jacob Damilare, who was apprehended by the Osun State Police Command for allegedly assaulting a female passenger he had picked up at the OAU main gate on July 26, 2024.
According to reports, the motorcyclist took a detour into a secluded area near the RCC Junction in Moro, where he committed the crime and also stole personal belongings from the victim.
During questioning by reporters, Damilare justified his actions by claiming that the victim’s response to his romantic gestures provoked him. He also asserted that the victim was a student.
However, the Public Relations Officer of OAU, Abiodun Olanrewaju, refuted these claims in a statement released in Osogbo. Olanrewaju clarified that the victim had no association with the university, despite engaging the motorcyclist at the main gate.
Emphasizing that no OAU student was a victim of rape, Olanrewaju pointed out that the university had been on break for nearly a month.
“The emergence of a viral news report alleging the rape and robbery of a female passenger by a commercial motorcyclist has been noted by the administration of Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
“Following a thorough investigation, it was established that no student of OAU, whether on or off-campus, was involved in any such criminal activities.
“The individual in question had no ties to our esteemed institution. Additionally, our university is currently in a prolonged period of recess, with the majority of our students away on vacation for weeks now,” a segment of the statement clarified.
Olanrewaju urged the public to disregard the misinformation, affirming its inaccuracy.